Summary
This satisfying story encourages kids to stand up to bullies as it tells the tale of Sergio the turtle, his old friends the Snappers, and the new friends he learns to defend.
The Snappers are the toughest turtles in the pond!
He felt BIG when they scattered the minnows.
He felt BRAVE when they played soccer with the snails.
He felt BOLD when they plucked tail feathers from the ducks.
Lately, though, Sergio noticed how others quivered when the Snappers swam by. This bothered him, but when he mentioned it to one of the other Snappers, Big Clay nipped at him.
When the Snappers start picking on a little minnow named Gil, Sergio gets some uncomfortable, "squishy" feelings and has to decide what to do. But it's hard to stand up to your friends!
Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers by Julia Martin Burch, PhD, on bullying, friendship, fitting in, and ways to discuss these issues with your child.
Excerpt:
Just as Sergio experiences in the story, standing up for kindness and compassion in the face of peer pressure is one of the more difficult challenges children and adolescents face. As you talk through it, help your child think through the various characters' perspectives. For example, you might ask "how do you think Gil felt when the Snappers were being mean?"
Debbie Wagenbach grew up on a farm in southeast Iowa, the oldest of nine siblings. She has been reading and telling stories to children for as long as she can remember. As a retired children's librarian, she now writes books for children herself, mostly during the daylight hours. Debbie still lives on the same farm, where she enjoys quiet strolls on dusty roads, cloud watching, savoring a daily smidge of dark chocolate, and introducing her great nieces and nephews to the loveliest of books. She is the author of The Grouchiesi and Big, Bad, Brave Sergio . Visit her at www.grouchies.com and follow her on Facebook: @DebbieWagenbachChildrensAuthor and Twitter: @Deb_Wagenbach.
Jamie Tablason received her BFA and MA in illustration from CSU Long Beach, School of Art. She currently works and lives in Lakewood, CA, with her husband and their two dogs. Visit her at www.jamietablason.com and follow her on Facecbook: @jamietablasonillustration and on Instagram: @jamietablason.
