miscellaneous

When Simon is teased by his friends, Grandma rose compares teasing to fishing hooks and shows Simon how he doesn't have to get caught up in the mean game his friends are playing. Simon's Hook is an excellent way to teach children to be more resilient.

The cover (not yet shown today) has a red background and Simon is sitting on a hook under water as if it was a swing. Fish swim about and all the characters are fanciful and smiling.

The basic story includes a "bad hair day." When Simon's sister can't find her gum, she finds that it is in Simon's hair. Unfortunately she has to cut off a lot of his hair to get the gum out. This story will be very familiar to children. I remember this happening to me when I fell asleep while chewing gum.

Simon is doing quite well while wearing a hat, but when he falls and his hat falls off, all the children start to call him lawn mower head. As he runs home he accidentally runs into Grandma Rose. Simon tells her what happened and tells her about the teasing.

"But why do you bite? "
"Bite?" cried Simon.
"I didn't bite anyone!"

After going into her garage, Grandma Rose returns with a fishing line. A piece of paper is attached to the end of the hook and a cat is trying to bat at the paper. By waving the paper around for the cat, Grandma Rose shows how the cat bats at the paper. Then, she dangles the paper in front of Simon. Then Simon catches the paper too.

"You're not a free fish anymore."

"But what else can I do?"

Then over a glass of lemonade and a few cookies, Grandma Rose tells Simon a fish story. The next two pages are filled with fish thinking, saying things or biting at pieces of paper with put downs and teases written on them.

I had to laugh because some of the fish are quite adorable (the "peace" fish named Harmony Hippy Fish is a hoot) and the entire story is rather cute. At the end of the book all the fish are drawn in one picture and their names are listed next to them. The shark is of course called: "tiny." They also have some witty comments that one could consider to be a snappy retort. At the bottom of the ocean we see an Instead of Biting do this sign. It lists five ways to avoid getting caught by teasing.

There are pages and pages of fishes saying various things that are quite amusing. Even I was laughing out loud at a few of the fish stories.

When Simon returns to the park he has a new attitude and his friends enjoy his new witty remarks. He no longer takes them seriously and can enjoy the attention.

Karen Gredig Burnett writes highly creative books and Laurie Barrows knows how to draw the characters Karen is talking about. So, together they create a magic all of their own.

If your child is struggling with teasing, this book will empower them and show them that they can laugh at difficulty and embrace change. I might even start using a few of the witty comments in this book when my husband teases me. This book is definitely not just for younger kids. It can also empower adults and teenagers.

Also look for:

Katie's Rose
If the World were Blind
The Magical, Marvelous Megan G. Beamer

~TheRebeccaReview.com

I use this book every year to start out the school year. I teach fifth grade, but the kids need these skills so much by the time they get to fifth grade. I made a poster using the strategies presented in this book and post it in my room all year. I remind my kids frequently of what Simon says we need to do. It helps. GREAT BOOK!

My five-year-old is having a bit of difficulty with two children at his daycare. I have purchased several adult books on how to help a child deal with bullies/teasing, but hadn't been successful in finding a good children's book. Then I found "Simon's Hook". Through funny pictures and dialogue, the book has given my son five sensible practical approaches on how to deal with difficult peers. I highly recommend this book.