Bullying has been one of the highest talked about topics for the past few years as more and more people are beginning to come out to speak against it. Although it is something that you and I understand, that teens and tweens can grasp, it is sometimes difficult for some younger children to discern between bullying and playing.
My son is 5 years old and it has been one of the hardest things for him to learn due to the fact that he is ASD and he is so good. There have been so many times kids would push him or make him do things because he thought they were playing and didn’t understand they were doing it because they could do it. With language difficulties, it can get really confusing. So I was delighted to be able to sit and teach him about Bullying through his favorite medium, books.
Bully Bean is a story by Thomas & Peter Weck that follows a little bear called Lima Bear, the only one with green fur and the big Bully Bear who is always picking on him.
In the kingdom of Beandom, Bully Bean is feared. He plays mean tricks, makes fun of other beans, and puts them in danger. Lima Bear, the only bean with green fur who is always helping others, seems to be Bully Bean’s favorite bean to pick on. But what happens when Bully Bean is in danger? Will Lima Bear and his friends run away, or will they rescue him?
Although the idea of the story follows along the same premise of many “turn the bully into a friend” style books, there is a lot of originality in the verse and the little sing-song rhymes of the bears. The illustrations are beautiful and I love that there is a whole Lima Bear Stories series that talks about issues for young children and what it means to be tolerant, honest and have courage.
Although I still have a long road ahead of me in teaching my little guy, it has been nice to share with him the story of Lima Bear and I’m thankful he is beginning to grasp through the photos and the story the concept and difference between being a bully and just playing with your friends.
You can pick up Bully Bean by Thomas & Peter Weck on Amazon for $11.83!
