Cal sat at his desk, frowning at the red construction paper on his desk in front of him. Valentine’s Day was coming, and he wanted to make the perfect card for his best friend Sarah.
But every time he tried to cut out a heart, it more resembled a squished tomato.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Mom asked, peeking into his room.
“I can’t make it perfect,” Cal sighed, showing her his pile of misshapen hearts. “Sarah always makes the nicest things for everyone. Last year, she gave me a card with a dragon that breathed heart-shaped fire!”
“It was cool! I wanted to do something just as great.”
Mom sat down next to Cal. “You know what makes a Valentine special? It’s not about being perfect – it’s about showing others how much you care.”
Cal thought about what his Mom just said while picking up his scissors again. Sarah did love dragons… Maybe he could try something different? He began cutting and folding, his tongue sticking out in concentration.
An hour later, Cal held up his creation proudly. It wasn’t just a regular Valentine – it was a pop-up card with a little green paper dragon. Its wings might have been uneven, and its tail was slightly crooked, but when you opened the card, it looked like it was flying right out at you!
Inside, Cal wrote in his best handwriting:
“To Sarah,
Dragons are cool,
You’re cool too!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
From, Cal”
The next day at school, Cal felt nervous as he handed Sarah the card. But when she opened it, her eyes lit up like stars.
“Cal! Did you make this yourself?” she gasped. “It’s amazing! Look how the dragon pops up! This is the best valentine ever!”
Cal beamed with pride. His mom was right – it didn’t have to be perfect to be special. As he and Sarah spent recess drawing more dragons together, he realized that sometimes the best valentines come straight from the heart, wobbly wings and all.
The End
Can you unscramble the words in the puzzle below? To help you get started, each capital letter is the first letter.
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