Hello… I’m Jamie the Littlest Puffin. I’m small — the smallest of my puffin friends Thomas, Sharon, and Lewis. I love to hop over the waves, play football, leapfrog… but sometimes I hang back, comforted by a small habit I just can’t seem to drop: sucking my feather. It’s soothing, but it keeps me from playing with the others.

I know they get frustrated when I miss out on games or when I fidget instead of joining them. I feel guilty, less puffin-like, less brave. Mister Mustache tried helping me too — encouraging me, telling me that he once had a habit he couldn’t stop when he was small, and that it’s okay to need help. I admire the older puffins for their speed and confidence, but I want to match them, not just watch them from the side.

One day, I did something that surprised even me: when the three other puffins couldn’t climb the path to the top because of squabbling crabs, I found a piece of seaweed and nudged them away so the path cleared. My beak held steady, not my feather. At that moment, I felt something swell in me — bravery, pride, belonging.

Later, when I looked out from the island’s peak at the sea, I saw Thelma the Whale and Gunnar the Seagull in the distance. I felt strong. The feather wasn’t gone completely, but I realized I could try, step by step, to join the games, to laugh freely, to let go of what was holding me back.

So, if you’ll walk with me by the shore, we can leap together, or watch waves crash at our feet, or maybe just sit quietly and feel the wind. I might still fidget sometimes, but I’m learning courage in small ways. And I’d love for you to see that even the littlest puffin has a big heart.