Author's Note

Treacherous Chocolate Mousse is a story that takes a stance against bullying, and the lonely path it leads to. Bullying is a horrible act of malice that inflicts physical and mental damage to the many kids or teens enduring it. The unfortunate kids that have to face these menacing thugs that take part in these horrific actions have, on occasion, gone on to become bullies themselves. They become awkward non-social people. Some of whom even have killed themselves or others. Kids attack others because of many reasons: skin color, size, or culture. Bullies grow up to become lonely themselves because they earn a negative reputation. This is a horrible problem in schools and it must stop. All people at some point have been a part of a bullying episode, whether you were the victim, the bully, or bystander, it effects everyone. I was once picked on myself, by an older teen that thought he could take my clothes after swimming, and dump my bag.

I care a great deal about this topic and have chosen to write about it in picture book form to show the repercussions of bullying. The victim, obviously, experiences the horrible actions of bullies, however, the side effects affect the bully as well. It also goes way beyond the attacker and the attacked, it is crucial to understand how it can effect an entire school, neighborhood, or community. In my short story, the antagonist is a Chocolate Mousse, (a sweet unhealthy dessert food), that attacks a peacefully happy bowl of innocent fruit, (nurturing heathy food). The ending will show how the bully, The Chocolate Mousse, can clean up his act after he realizes he has gotten in too deep with his nasty behavior toward the bowl of fruit who are on the verge of rotting beneath his sticky gooey nastiness. The images of unhealthy food in relation to healthy foods are symbolic to the unhealthy and healthy behaviors of humans.

Readers need understand the impact bullying has on people's lives, especially younger kids. If we teach younger kids the consequences of bullying from both sides, they can make better behavioral decisions in their lifetime. Bullying is a lonely road, so don't follow it.