Pigs aren’t “little”Yet the Big Bad Wolf insists on calling our pig friends “little” because he thinks they’re fat. Now as far as pigs go, their size is perfectly normal but compared to the other kids at school, their size makes them different. With more than 30 pages of beautiful illustrations, we’ve weaved story elements in to our reimagined tale to help parents and their children have a conversation about empathy, teasing and bullying. On appropriate pages, parents can tap a special icon that provides suggestions they can use to turn the scene into a teachable moment. At the end of the story, there is a special section just for parents, teachers and child care providers, which offers an in-depth look at bullying including:• What is bullying; the differences between teasing and bullying; and, why it’s important to distinguish between the two.• Specific suggestions on what you can do if your child is being teased or bullied.• The roles of bullies, targets and bystanders as well as the bullying cycle.• Signs your child might be a bully, target or bystander and recommendations on what to do. (Parents are bystanders too so we’ve included suggestions for you as well.)• Resource section with links to anti-bullying websites and expert advice as well as links to anti-bullying programs.The goal of the story is not to perpetuate a fear of bullying but instead help kids and parents recognize, plan and deal with teasing and bullying before it becomes a more serious issue. We’ve also focused on how characters can make others feel in order to help promote an understanding of compassion and empathy. Teaching positive social skills at an early age will help in enumerable ways, as your child grows older.
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