A lyrical tale that combats bullying through compassion and teaches children how to become heroes instead of victims.
A victim of vicious bullying transforms into the school hero in McMahon’s children’s story.
Thoughtful and kind, Manny McMoose has fallen into the familiar trap of too little exercise and too many snacks. His girth makes him an easy target for the bullies at school. When new kid “Billy the Bully” arrives on the scene, Manny’s life takes a turn for the worse. Endless taunting both at school and online leads to feelings of helplessness and depression. With the prompting of a caring teacher, Manny finds an outlet for his gifts by volunteering with the school’s special needs students. As he develops strong, trusting friendships, he finally finds his voice. Written entirely in rhyming verse, this timely work is well-suited for students. Its poetic nature helps to relieve some of the tension surrounding this important subject, although some of the language—“Hey McGeek, you goofy, gay lard. / Wipe up the drool from that stupid retard!”—seems inappropriate for the book’s targeted elementary audience. Manny’s climactic confrontation with Billy is a pivotal moment. Here, Manny transforms from victim to champion by showing Billy the error of his ways, speaking with a firm confidence that should help to inspire youngsters. The author presents both sides of bullying and shows kids ways to break its cycle. The piece also gives voice to Billy and highlights the fact that bullies are often victims themselves who usually endure some form of intimidation or abuse at home.
A lyrical tale that combats bullying through compassion and teaches children how to become heroes instead of victims.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1470130060
Page Count: 50
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics.
An angry child attempts to calm down.
A kid with paper-white skin, clad in a blue dress and striped tights, makes an absurd request: “Can we get a pet penguin, name it Marshmallow, and feed it carrots?” Mom, off-stage, says simply, “Not today,” and the tot transforms into a rather odd creature: a spicy nugget! The nugget is imperfectly ovoid in form, with red rosy cheeks, rage-filled dot-eyes, and a spiraling black-hole mouth. The sight gag works beautifully: When one feels truly angry, all poise disappears, leaving only a flailing ball of rage. Our protagonist hurls a teddy bear, unsuccessfully tries out a list of calming methods, and finally retreats to bed, where “I can feel my breathing; I know that I am safe.” The youngster reverts back to human form, and Mom arrives with kind words: “You are not your big feelings. You are not your angry thoughts.” The takeaway is unmistakable, especially at the story’s conclusion: It’s OK to get mad and important to practice coping strategies. The young narrator expresses emotion with fabulous vigor, though the story’s lilting rhyme scheme occasionally distracts from these outbursts with cuteness. Nonetheless, this increasingly enraged nugget-child is irresistible; anyone who’s grappled with overwhelming emotions will relate—in a word, everyone.
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217042142
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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