Telly the Kelly Green Tiger is a delightful children’s story about a cute but bashful little tiger that has the misfortune to be born bright kelly green. This dilemma soon proved to be a frustrating situation as Telly struggled with acceptance in the jungle. As Telly tried to be a part of the animal kingdom he found himself ridiculed, rejected and humiliated by the other animals around him. Monkey’s screamed and threw coconuts at him, the elephants raised their trunks and drenched him with water. This was too much for the small tiger to endure, so Telly fled and hid his bright green fur behind the refuge of large green jungle leaves. Lonely and sad, Telly declared- If only I wasn’t so green they wouldn’t be mean!
The tables would soon be turned however as hunters came to capture animals for resale and Telly’s greenness becomes an asset. The story of Telly teaches children the uniqueness of themselves as individuals as they see Telly turn a negative to a positive, and in the end we hear Telly proclaim- :It’s great to be green if you know what I mean!