Ginger Toes to the Rescue is a children's book based on a true story about mine and my granddaughter's bullying experiences when we were both in the elementary grades.

As a child born with a physical imperfection (my left foot had six toes, three are joined together), I was always teased and bullied by kids my age. The kids called me 'Ebeng Dikit,' or the girl with ginger toes because the six toes on my feet are joined and shaped like ginger pieces. And they were hard to miss because we went to school barefooted in the Philippines during my time.

My granddaughter was a beautiful girl with an athletic build physique. She was more substantial than most kids her age and loved sports even at a very young age. Her communication and other skills were far advanced than most kids in her grade. She was ahead of the curve, so she was different. The skinny girls in school called her many names. They bullied her.

Bullying is as old as humankind. It is every parent's job to equip their children with the right tools to protect themselves from being victimized by bullies.