The Boy and the Pangolin

The Boy and the Pangolin - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

Miles loved to draw. One sunny morning, he sat at the kitchen table with his sketchbook. His pencil wiggled behind his ear as he thought hard. What should he draw today? He wanted something new and exciting. His mom smiled and said, 'Why not draw an animal you've never seen before?' Miles's big dark brown eyes lit up with curiosity. 1

Miles and his mom searched the computer for strange animals. They found a picture of a pangolin. It had overlapping brown and tan scales like a pinecone. Its face was soft and pale, with tiny black eyes. 'It looks like a walking pinecone!' Miles laughed. His gap-toothed smile showed he was hooked. He wanted to learn everything about this shy creature. 2

Mom explained that pangolins are in danger. People hunt them for their scales, even though the scales are just like fingernails. 'That's terrible!' Miles said. He felt a tug at his heart. He decided he wanted to help. 'I'm going to make a comic about pangolins,' he announced. 'I'll call my pangolin Pip, and Pip will be a hero!' 3

Miles grabbed his yellow backpack and pulled out his best pencils. He drew Pip with careful, small strokes. Pip had a tiny blue scarf around his neck and a brave little smile. In the comic, Pip curled into a ball to protect himself. Then he unrolled and showed his long sticky tongue. 'You're perfect,' Miles whispered to his drawing. 4

The next day, Miles showed his comic to his best friend Emma. Emma pushed her round glasses up and read every page. She loved the part where Pip used his curved claws to climb a tree. 'This is awesome!' she said. 'But why does Pip need a scarf?' Miles grinned. 'Because heroes wear scarves!' he said. Emma laughed and asked to help. 5

Miles and Emma worked on the comic together. Emma drew a forest with tall green trees. Miles wrote the words in big, clear letters. 'Pip is shy,' the comic said. 'But Pip is brave too.' They showed how Pip eats ants with his long tongue. They showed how he rolls into a ball when he is scared. 'We need to tell everyone,' Emma said. 6

At school, Miles and Emma shared the comic with their class. The teacher, Mr. Lee, read it aloud. The children leaned in to see the drawings. 'Pangolins are real animals,' Miles told them. 'And they need our help.' Some kids had never heard of pangolins before. They asked lots of questions. Miles answered every one with a smile. 7

Emma made copies of the comic and passed them out. She even put star-shaped stickers on the best pages. 'We can put one in the library,' she suggested. Miles nodded. He felt proud. His small comic was starting to travel. He hoped it would reach many people. 'Maybe we can make a big poster too,' he said. Emma clapped her hands. 8

At home, Miles showed the comic to his mom. She read it and hugged him tight. 'I'm so proud of you,' she said. Her gold hoop earrings jingled as she nodded. 'You're teaching people about wildlife.' She helped Miles make a colorful poster for the school hallway. It had a big drawing of Pip and the words 'Protect Pangolins!' in bold letters. 9

The poster went up in the school hallway. Kids stopped to look at it. Some asked how they could help. Miles told them, 'You can learn about animals and share what you know.' Emma added, 'And you can be kind to all creatures.' Together, they made small badges with Pip's face on them. Everyone wanted one. The message was spreading fast. 10

One day, the local library invited Miles to read his comic aloud. Miles felt nervous. His hands shook a little. But then he thought of Pip, who was shy but brave. Miles took a deep breath and began to read. The children listened quietly. When he finished, they clapped and cheered. Miles's freckled nose crinkled with a happy smile. 11

After the reading, a wildlife helper came to talk. She told everyone that pangolins are protected by law. 'But they still need friends,' she said. Miles raised his hand. 'We can be their friends!' he said. Everyone agreed. The helper gave Miles a sticker of a pangolin. Miles put it on his sketchbook. He felt like a real wildlife hero. 12

Miles went home and added new pages to his comic. In them, Pip met other animals and showed how they all need protection. Emma helped color the pages with bright greens and blues. They made copies for the whole neighborhood. Miles's mom put one on the fridge. 'You're making a difference,' she said. Miles beamed with pride. 13

Weeks later, Miles received a letter from a wildlife group. They thanked him for his comic and asked to share it with other schools. Miles jumped up and down. 'Pip is famous!' he shouted. Emma ran over to celebrate. They danced around the kitchen. Miles's mom took a photo of them holding the letter. It was a day to remember. 14

Miles sat at his kitchen table, drawing a new comic. This time, Pip was teaching other animals to be brave. Miles looked out the window and smiled. He knew that even a small boy with a pencil could help big animals. His mom brought him a snack and kissed his curly hair. 'Keep drawing,' she said. 'Keep helping.' And Miles did.