Review of What's So Special About Bailey Piggles?

[PeterRabitt20]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What's So Special About Bailey Piggles?" by Pele Sparkle.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In What’s So Special About Bailey Piggles?, a piglet named Bailey encounters bullying and prejudice at school.

One day, Bailey finds Wesla, the sheep, crying about her stolen medal. The medal is important to her because it brings her good luck during tests. After searching high and low, Bailey decides to consult his spirit guides for extra help. In a dream, they show him where to find the missing medal. As it turns out, Noah—the school bully—has it. What will Bailey Piggles do next? Can he help his friend Wesla? Should he trust his spirit guides?

Written by Hawaiian native, Pélé Sparkle, this story has a wonderful anti-bullying and anti-prejudice message. These topics are relatable to younger audiences; unfortunately, the classroom is a place where they arise. Most importantly, I appreciated that the mediation didn’t involve threats. Even the bully is given the benefit of the doubt; Sparkle explains how bullies often have inferiority issues.

The animal characters were another positive aspect since they strip any chances of stereotyping. Moreover, the cartoon illustrations are professionally drawn and amusing. Interestingly, there were many archetypes symbolism in the animals. For example, a pig is usually happy—Bailey is quite cheerful—whereas a tiger is fierce, such as Noah. In contrast, a few animals negated their label, such as the tortoise Ambrose riding his bike fast. Also, Wesla wasn’t sheepish. As a note, I don’t know if the symbolism was intentional, but it could be part of lesson planning.

The story had its negative instances. When Bailey used his spirit guides for his math homework, I wondered if it sent the wrong message about schoolwork. Later in the story, it was rectified. However, some teachers and caregivers may find this unsettling.

The author cleverly included how prejudices can flow from parents to their children. Noah’s prejudice against Wesla was a good example. Nonetheless, the story ended without bringing his parents into the picture. In my opinion, this was a missed opportunity.

I docked one star because of the reservations mentioned above. Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to educators and caregivers; it would be a handy tool for a curriculum on tolerance. Although not explicitly mentioned, this book touches on Hawaiian traditions; therefore, I’d recommend it to readers searching for a book on American cultures. Older elementary readers may find this story slow; thus, I would not recommend it to them.

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What's So Special About Bailey Piggles?
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[Hannah Fabro]

Do you know what's funny about this book? Animals has their own school. Thanks for the review.

[Wesusa]

Great Review! I think I may read it in the future, but just not yet. Amazing Job!

[Urvashi Tripathi]

I found cover design cute. I want to know further if Bailey got his lucky medal from Noah or not. Thank you for the beautiful review.

[markodim721]

It is great that the book conveys important anti-bullying and anti-prejudice messages to the youngest generations.

[smolbird]

What a cute story with a great message. Thank you for the lovely review as usual!

[PeterRabitt20]

:lol

Do you know what's funny about this book? Animals has their own school. Thanks for the review.

You're right! I don't know how I missed that one!

[PeterRabitt20]

What a cute story with a great message. Thank you for the lovely review as usual!

Thank you for your comment and for stopping by!

[PeterRabitt20]

It is great that the book conveys important anti-bullying and anti-prejudice messages to the youngest generations.

I agree. Thanks for stopping by!

[PeterRabitt20]

I found cover design cute. I want to know further if Bailey got his lucky medal from Noah or not. Thank you for the beautiful review.

The cover is what got me interested. Nice to see that you agree. Thanks for stopping by!

[PeterRabitt20]

Great Review! I think I may read it in the future, but just not yet. Amazing Job!

I hope you that chance. Thanks for stopping by!

[Mbrooks2518]

This seems like a nice book for learning about tolerance. Great review!

[Josephe-Anne]

This sounds like an unusual story that tackles the topic of bullying. I can see the point you made about the animal archetypes and symbolism.

Thank you for a well-written review.