Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Johnny Big Ears, The Feel-Good Friend
By John Paul Padilla
Published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-8059-74966
Besting the Bully!
Johnny Big Ears is a five-year old boy who is getting ready to begin Kindergarten. Prior to the first day of school, Johnny’s mom cuts his hair and he realizes he has big ears. He begins to wonder what other kids will think of him and how he will be treated because he isn’t perfect. He decides it doesn’t matter what they think; he has big ears and he knows he is special regardless of how he looks. In Johnny Big Ears, John Paul Padilla takes us along with Johnny on his adventure to his first day of school. As expected, Johnny runs into bullies on the schoolyard and we are able to witness how he handles himself, what he thinks, and how he resolves the situation.
From the beginning of the story, we know Johnny feels special because his family has instilled in him the sense that he is a one-of-a-kind individual and they love him exactly as he is. When he realizes he isn’t perfect, he knows it’s okay because it’s those imperfections that make him so special. The author gave Johnny confidence and self-respect which helps him to decide not to be a victim in the schoolyard and to maintain respect for himself. This story teaches children to be strong, to walk away, and to know that not everyone will always like you – and that is okay.
Something I found to be strange in this story is how the author used a character’s imperfections in the naming of that character. I was taken aback when the principal is named Mrs.Wrinkles because she has wrinkles. Charlie Freckles has many freckles on his face. I found this to be somewhat inconsistent with the author’s message. The message of a person not being defined by his or her imperfection is wonderful, however, the author chose to give these characters names which drew attention to, and in effect, defined those characters by the very traits that might make them feel insecure.
The only other issue I found with this book is actually in presentation, not actually in the story itself. I found my children lost interest when there were no pictures on the page with which to associate the words I was reading aloud. They lost focus and I could tell they were having a difficult time keeping with the story. For children, I do believe the visual with each page helps to drive the message to heart and they are more likely to remember and recall the story and its teaching.
I was looking for a book to help me teach my kids about bullies in school. I think this story is a good one to that end, and is surely going to spark in-depth conversations that are important for parents to have with their children about respect for oneself and others.