Spiky

Come on now. Seriously? A child's book and you're poking holes in snail shells and pulling wings off butterflies? Not for my kids( when they were kids) or my grandkids or my great grands. And even I cringed. What a waste of a good book idea.

Because I assume you are considering purchasing the book for a child, here is the plot summary, including spoilers:- Spiky is very very bad. Also, he’s covered in spikes.- All of Spiky’s spikes fall out.- His identity gone, Spiky struggles with who to be and what to do next.- A bunny befriends Spiky and introduces him to the more enjoyable aspects of life.- Spiky’s spikes regrow.- Spiky questions his identity and decides it’s better to live a good life.The story is a good one, although the illustrations could have been better.The problem is that when describing Spiky’s bad behavior, the author gets a little too graphic:- Spiky pulls the wings off of butterflies. (not depicted)- He captures birds in glass jars. (depicted)- He pricks holes in the snail’s shells. (not depicted)Surely there could have been a better way to show that Spiky was bad without resorting to outright animal cruelty and torture. It’s a real pity, because the moral is good and the story is intriguing - it’s not often a child’s book explores issues of identity.

The examples of what made Spiky so bad are going to make people think, "serial killer," however, we have to keep in mind that children don't think of it like that. They're more likely to turn up their noses, or ask questions, about Spiky's behavior. If they don't then the parents may have bigger problems on their hands . . .. Furthermore, they've likely already seen other kids, or will see, do these things. I know in the 1st grade I watched one of my classmates pluck the legs off a Daddy Longlegs then throw its poor body to the ground and laugh. This would be an opportune time to open a dialogue with a child about why that behavior is wrong and to discuss the things they can do to stop the behavior or tell an adult about it. Bearing that in mind, I'm still squirming at the content because I think it's too dark and heavy for the target audience.The rest of the story was a good example of how someone can turn around their life, regardless of a seemingly predestined route. Let's think of kiddos whose parents are pieces of #%$^ for a moment. Those children might fall into the trap of thinking that's how their life is supposed to be, and that they, too, must be a dreg of society. One change in life, or a positive influence, can reroute that destiny. I feel this book illustrates that possibility.Could the book have skipped the wing picking and the hole poking? Sure. But . . . wasn't a witch in one of our most beloved tales going to cook children and instead got cooked herself, and another saw a stepmother instructing her stepdaughter's heart to be cut out, or how about the witch poisoning a young girl with an apple, or the wolf who ate the grandmother? And those were the toned-down-for-children versions.

Children know Spiky. All alone in the forest, unwanted, unloved, Spiky learns to be even naughtier than he already was. He seems pretty proud of that and spreads his unhappiness everywhere. But then his spikes fall out and he gets confused. Who is Spiky now?I would not hesitate to read this book to groups of kindergarteners and up. Sometimes older children like picture books as well. While Spiky is a despicable character, children themselves, know despicable characters. They may even sometimes feel like they are despicable. It is interesting that it offers a bully who becomes sympathetic.This story offers a look inside of the sad and the mean. Then there is loss and then there is redemption. Children know these concepts.

I read the book to my 3 grandsons and they liked it and the characters were amusing! At first they thought Spiky was bad. And he was!! But then they were happy that Bernardo the bunny taught him how to be kind and friendly. If anything, the story was too short!!

Agree with others. The book is a bit grotesque. Not only that, the word comprehension is above that of a 5th or 6th grade level. Anyone can make a point about bullying, but this isn't going to do it for a toddler. My 7 year old son only got the point that Spiky was bad with his spikes on. More emphasis on how he felt better playing with others could have helped him get the point that being nice was more gratifying then being bad.

People can choose be bad, just like Spiky, but they can also choose to be good. Spiky's upbringing and identity fostered his badness, but a loss of identity caused him to question what he knew and had been taught. Ultimately, he began to enjoy the new world that he could see and discovered that he could decide how he acted and chose to live a life of goodness. Yes, it does mention pulling wings off of butterflies, etc., But I chose to use that as a teaching moment to my child. I think it helped to show just how bad he really was and that no matter how bad we are we can still be redeemed...a good lesson indeed.