Red

by Jan De Kinder

Other authorsLaura Watkinson (Translator)
Paper Book, 2015

Status

Available

Call number

[E]

Publication

Grand Rapids, Mich. : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2015.

Description

"Torn between her fear of the bully on the school playground and her sympathy for her classmate, a girl must make a difficult choice"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member cay250
a good book about bullying that rings true and empowers kids to not be bystanders but stand up and stop what's happening. even though this JP, I can easily see it as JFIC book and might have more residence with older kids (grades k- 3)
LibraryThing member welburr
This book covers the topics of bullying. I did not find it to be as engaging as I imagined it would be when I requested a copy of the book, which was disappointing. The color choices are interesting, but I do not feel that my young students would be engaged while reading it.
LibraryThing member ktbailin
As an elementary school counselor, I found this book very insightful and perfect for classroom lessons on bullying. "Red" tells the story of a little boy who blushes when he's nervous. As he gets teased by the characters in the story, we hear the thoughts of one girl who is wrestling with being a
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bystander. When she speaks up, we see the power behind her voice. The illustrations in the story are simple, yet powerful. I am looking forward to reading and discussing this story with my students!
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LibraryThing member EmLu
This was such a sweet story, with very interesting art (a mixture of charcoal, acrylics, and collage). There's a very strong message about bullying and standing up for other people despite being afraid, which I think students will really respond to.
LibraryThing member Lizjensen
In this book, a young girl makes fun of a boy who is blushing. Soon all of her classmates join in, including the school bully. The girl starts to feel bad about making fun of her classmates blush and has to deal with the aftermath of her teasing.

I thought this book was very powerful. The theme of
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this book is to stand up for what's right, even if it means going against the crowd. The illustrations were beautiful and unique. This story would be really good to read to young students so they ca learn what effect teasing can have on a classmate. I would highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
When the young girl-narrator of this poignant tale points out her classmate Tommy's blushes to their peers, she inadvertently sets in motion a bullying campaign that ends with Tommy being hurt on the playground by a particularly aggressive pupil named Paul. The girl realizes almost at once that her
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'small' teasing is leading to more serious things, but once she has set the process in motion, she doesn't know how to stop it. When the teacher asks the children what has happened, the girl wants to tell her, but is afraid to be the first to speak, thereby making herself a target. Her eventual decision to stand up for what's right teaches her an important lesson, both about personal courage, and about the power of example...

Originally published in Flemish as Rood, of Waarom Pesten Niet Grappig Is - literally, "Red, or Why Bullying Is Not Funny" - this poignant Belgian picture-book addresses some important themes in a sensitive and believable fashion. I particularly appreciated that Jan de Kinder had his young protagonist progress from thinking that teasing is no big deal, to the realization that 'small' things can grow, especially in social situations in which group behavior is a potential problem. I also appreciated the fact that the girl learns that just as groups can function in a cruel and punitive fashion, when allied against vulnerable individuals, they can also work to support those doing right, when someone is courageous enough to stand up and show them a good example. The artwork here is very interesting, working skillfully to highlight the emotional significance of each scene. One page in particular, in which the girl finally stands up for what is right, is quite striking visually speaking, as the girl's raised hand and arm, indicating her decision to tell what she knows, is depicted in white, against a deep red background. Given that red has been used throughout to highlight the problematic nature of bullying - it sets off the whole situation, when the girl points out Tommy's blushes, and only grows in significance as a color, as the situation deteriorates - the use of white to interrupt the flow of the visual narrative is especially powerful.

Bold and powerful artwork is joined to a poignant and thought-provoking story here, making Red a book I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for children's stories addressing themes of bullying, and of ethical behavior in general.
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LibraryThing member BrettMartin
"Red" is a story translated from Belgian author Jan De Kinder about a boy who is bullied on the school playground. Meanwhile, a girl watching wants to help out but is too scared to. I really enjoyed how the book portrayed what bullying feels like for the victim and how difficult it can be for
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someone to take a stand against the bully. Overall, "Red" is a very relatable book for a lot of children. The art was interesting. For most of the book, it emphasized the color red, but then switched to emphasizing the color green towards the end. The story is simple and easy to read, but is powerful. I know I'll be using this book in my classroom to try to stop bullying. "Red" is definitely a book for all elementary school children.
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LibraryThing member MeganSchneider
Red is a amazing book about a young boy who blushes easily and gets bullied throughout the book for it. However, one young girl finds the strength to finally stand up and admits she saw what happened. The illustrations are amazing in this book at depicting the emotions of each character, including
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the fear of standing up for herself and the isolation that Tommy feels. Overall, I think this book would be an amazing addition to my classroom.
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LibraryThing member lg503
This is the story of a boy blushing at a play ground. The other kids make fun of him, and the teachers finds out, and tries to figure what happened.
LibraryThing member ppolanco
This is a great book with a powerful message behind it. Bullying is a serious issue that needs to be addressed and stopped immediately when seen or heard. We should never become too comfortable and stop discussing bullying because we might not think it is occurring. We live in a tough world and I
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think this topic needs to always be addressed with children. This book was so inspirational and I would definitely like to have it in my classroom. Such a simple but impressive book.
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LibraryThing member Whisper1
Excellently illustrated with a very good depiction of bullying. Tommy was terribly bullied. Whenever this would occur, his cheeks became bright red. When he said "Leave Me Alone," it only meant that the bullying increased. Tommy got more quiet and Paul, the worst bullier, got louder.

And, it only
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took one brave girl, who on the play ground said "This Isn't Funny Any More!!!" "I want this stop now!"
But, the brave girl grew quiet as well, especially when Tommy was pushed. And then, the pushing wasn't funny. Others noticed and were concerned for Tommy.

When the teacher asked if anyone saw the incident when Tommy was harmed, the shy, but brave girl raised her hand. Then, others raised their hands as well. Everyone who saw what happened, raised their hand. Now, The bullyier was upset, and needed to be more agressive.

Growling, first in the air, he let's Tommy know he means to hurt him again. But now, now only the brave girl, but others rush to Tommy's aid as well. Standing up to Paul and fighting for Tommy, the small, brave group wins! Their fight for justice and what is right won over the bullying.

Now, Tommy's face isn't read, but Paul's face is green, and he is no longer laughing. And the brave girl who acknowledged that she stammers, indicates she wants to play ball with Tommy. And, Tommy's face isn't red anymore!
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Original language

Dutch

ISBN

9780802854469

Barcode

T0000008
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