Karma Karamella looks at her reflection in the oven glass and sees a white circle around her mouth from the milk. How mischievous and funny she looks! When her cat, Karamisha Karamella, lifts her head from the milk bowl, she also has a white circle on her whiskers. How mischievous and funny she looks too! They must take a picture; they must borrow mom's phone! At that very exact moment, Karma sneaks in with her quiet socks, borrows the phone, and takes the pictures... but then a big problem occurs. A problem Karma had not accounted for at all.

Parent and Teacher Guide

Karma Karamella gets herself into big trouble when she decides to borrow her mother's phone without her knowledge to take some pictures with her cat, Karamisha. The phone quickly ends up in the fish tank. Karma tries everything to get the phone out without damaging it, but luck is not on her side. Karma finds herself caught in a lie she thinks is small and manageable, but the lie grows bigger and bigger day by day. This is when signs of anxiety begin to appear in Karma... scary nightmares... bedwetting... constant worry... Is it time to confess?

Karma wakes up to the sound of her father waking her for school; she has wet her bed from the nightmares about the phone that haunt her even in her sleep. Her father asks her about the reason for her constant anxiety, and Karma decides to confess what happened with the missing phone. Karma discovers that honesty is salvation and that while avoiding mistakes is nearly impossible, admitting to them can prevent them from happening again.

The story "A Big Problem" highlights important situations children may face from a young age, such as lying to escape consequences, and bedwetting resulting from fear or anxiety. It points to the importance of admitting mistakes no matter how big the problem is, and the importance of involving parents in such situations because they hold the keys to reassuring the child and helping to prevent matters from escalating.

For Discussion:

• Have you ever experienced a situation similar to Karma's?
• Do you think running away from a problem is a good solution?
• Have you ever told your parents a small lie? What was it?
• How did you feel when you didn't tell your parents the truth?
• How would you have acted if you were in Karma's situation?
• What do you think of what our friend Karma did? Was it right or wrong?
• What do you suggest we do if we find ourselves in the same problem?
• In your opinion, does admitting a mistake reduce the escalation of matters?
• Who is the first person you turn to when you have a problem?
• How would you describe your relationship with your parents?
• What do you think of the story's ending?