Official Review: Take the Bullying by the Horns

[CataclysmicKnight]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Take the Bullying by the Horns" by Hunter Dan.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I can't possibly say enough negative things about bullying. I personally dropped out of high school after years of bullying led to severe depression, and still deal with social anxiety and a lack of confidence that stem from those days. As someone who was bullied, I definitely have lots of empathy for anyone else who goes through it. When I saw Take the Bullying by the Horns by Hunter Dan, I was interested in how the author would apply that statement more literally (the bully actually has horns!) and what Hunter would have to say to children about bullying. The book is intended for children before they head into 1st grade, to make them aware of what bullying is and how to deal with it if it happens to them, and I had to know if this really is a good starting place for children.

Take the Bullying by the Horns is a children's picture book with hand-drawn illustrations by Pam Hodgdon. The book shows what being bullied is like from the point of view of Timmy, a young boy who has his sandwich stolen by a bully named Billy every day on the way to school. It's been going on so long that Timmy even knows how to work around it: he secretly makes himself a second sandwich each morning without his mom knowing. This way, he can have one sandwich stolen and still have something to eat! One fateful day, a man named 7 Footer comes to the school to show off his moves as a player for the Harlem Prostars and to promote the charity game they'll be playing in the next day. He also discusses important topics like the importance of studying and doing homework, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and then bullying! Timmy learns that he's not the only one who gets bullied and that he can do something about it! But will he be brave enough to take his bully by the horns?

I enjoyed the story, but I'll admit that I was distracted by marking so many errors while I read. I caught over a dozen total, almost every single one of which an issue with opening quotation marks. I ended up re-reading a few pages after marking the errors to get a grasp on what was happening, and I don't know that I'd say the story was good or bad overall. The resolution had a semi-magical, definitely-not-realistic conclusion that worries me a bit. In my experience, when the issue of bullying is raised with a school, little to nothing is done. As such, the end of this story may give children unrealistic expectations of what will happen if they point out someone is bullying them. On the other hand, telling kids that there's really nothing they can do about bullying just lets the bullies win, so perhaps it's best to give the children hope. At the very worst, at least they'd be letting people know what's going on, and wouldn't suffer alone!

The art in the book is lovely. Pam Hodgdon did a terrific job with what looks like various styles of handcrafted illustration, and the cover is a perfect example of what's inside. The images are big and easy to see at a distance with the paperback edition, and the formatting is terrific, making the words easy to read as well.

Overall, even though about half of the book is a speech from 7 Footer, the end may be a bit optimistic, and there are loads of very minor errors, I enjoyed it. Timmy is a genuine kid, and I absolutely loved the moment when Timmy explains how he makes a backup sandwich to eat. If the whole story was as good as that page, this would be one of the easiest books to recommend I've come across. As it is, the errors alone force me to knock a star off of the rating, and I'd give Take the Bullying by the Horns 2.5 stars if I could. With that said, I don't think it deserves only 2 stars; the art, the theme, and that one terrific page put it over the top for me. My rating of the book is 3 out of 4 stars. I'd recommend it for the same people that the author would - kids who haven't gotten into grade school yet - but also for any children learning to socialize.

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Take the Bullying by the Horns
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[chiefsimplex]

Great review! I am impressed by your observations. Indeed, when it gets into children's heads that reporting does not help matters, it only makes them sink further into depression. Inaction is painfully frustrating. Thanks for sharing.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

Well-written review! It's too bad there were so many errors, but it sounds like a really positive book for kids.

[kandscreeley]

Sounds like a great premise for a book. Bullying needs to be addressed and stopped. There probably isn't any full proof way, though. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Michgal 32]

Great review. It is better to hope that something good will happen when you stand up for yourself.

[Janelle Juncos]

Literature can sometimes address these difficult topics in a way that helps children gain a better understanding. It sounds like that was the aim of this book, but it fell short. Thanks for sharing your review and personal experiences!

[CharlizeGwapa]

bullying is really a universal issue.. The book review sound so personal that I was touched. Great job.

[Prisallen]

The issue of bullying is certainly important in today's world and it is sad to think that it starts as young as this, but it does. I'm sorry you had to go through it while you were growing up. This is a tough topic to know how to address, but something needs to be done about it. Thank you for a wonderful review!