Pinky and Rex and the Bully: Ready-to-Read Level 3 (Pinky & Rex) - Hardcover

Howe, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689800215 ISBN 13: 9780689800214

Publisher: Simon Spotlight, 1996

Synopsis

Pinky's favorite color is pink, and his best friend, Rex, is a girl. Kevin, the third-grade bully, says that makes Pinky a sissy. Deep down, Pinky thinks Kevin is wrong, but he's still worried. Does Pinky have to give up his favorite things, and worse, does he have to give up his best friend?

About this title

About the Author

James Howe is the author of more than ninety books for young readers. Bunnicula, coauthored by his late wife Deborah and published in 1979, is considered a modern classic of children’s literature. The author has written six highly popular sequels, along with the spinoff series Tales from the House of Bunnicula and Bunnicula and Friends. Among his other books are picture books such as Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores and beginning reader series that include the Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina books. He has also written for older readers. The Misfits, published in 2001, inspired the nationwide antibullying initiative No Name-Calling Week, as well as three sequels, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis. A common theme in James Howe’s books from preschool through teens is the acceptance of difference and being true to oneself. Visit him online at JamesHowe.com.

Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than eighty children’s books, including the Caldecott Honor books The Right Word and A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams both written by Jen Bryant. She also wrote and illustrated Tupelo Rides the Rails; Carmine: A Little More Red, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; and Balloons Over Broadway, a picture book biography that was named a 2011 Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction Picture Book. When she is not in her studio, Melissa can be found taking an art class, hiking with her dogs, or riding her bicycle. She lives with her family in Rockport, Maine.

From the Back Cover

Pinky learns the importance of identity as he defends his favorite color, pink, an his friendship with a girl, Rex, from the neighborhood bully.

Reviews

Grade 1-3?Pinky is forced into an identity crisis when his nickname and favorite color is deemed girlish by a bully. He wonders if, now that he's seven, it's time to change. An elderly neighbor suggests that he remain true to himself and question the "rules of behavior" instead. With his pal Rex (a girl) at his side, Pinky verbally confronts his tormentor. The older boy's aggressive bluster crumbles in the face of Pinky's new confidence. As in the previous books in the series, Howe affirms that boys (and girls) can be whatever they want to be. He fashions engaging characters who respond to their situations in a realistic, childlike fashion. Sweet's watercolor illustrations complement the gentle tale. Pair this title with Dan Millman's Secret of the Peaceful Warrior (H.J. Kramer, 1991), and you'll have ample food for a lively discussion on how children can respect one another and resolve their differences in a nonviolent manner.?Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This anachronistic entry about a popular duo in the Ready-to- Read series addresses gender issues for newly independent readers. Second-grader Pinky is bullied by third-grader Kevin for his friendship with a girl, best buddy Rex, and for his love of the color pink. Kevin warns Anthony not to play with Pinky, or ``You might turn into a girl, too!'' Pinky, whose real name is William, is upset enough that he asks to be called Billy and decides to end his friendship with Rex, too. An elderly neighbor, Mrs. Morgan, tells him her own childhood tale of lost identity, and Pinky finds the courage to stare Kevin down. Howe (Pinky and Rex and the New Baby, 1993, etc.) sends a positive message to children to be themselves, an idea sensitively illustrated by Sweet. But Mrs. Morgan's monologues are laced with preachiness and compassion that seem more convenient than real. Meanwhile, Rex is only a marginal figure, barely sketched into the tale; all her behavior is described rather than shown. (Fiction. 6- 8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 2^-4. When a bully calls him a sissy because he likes pink and plays with girls, Pinky has second thoughts about who he is and how he fits in. Mrs. Morgan, a neighbor who takes a friendly interest in the boy, listens as he struggles to find the answers, but she warns that if he changes to suit other people, he may give up too much of himself. In discussing bullies and insecurity, Howe takes on two conflicts familiar to children and handles them with a sure touch. The resolution may come a little too quickly, but Pinky's pain seems real. Melissa Sweet's ink-and-watercolor illustrations appear throughout the seven short chapters, giving the book a most appealing look. This raises issues significant to grade-school children, making it a good book for discussion at home or in the classroom. The last title in the popular series is Pinky and Rex and the Double-Dad Weekend (1995). Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon Spotlight
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689800215
• ISBN 13: 9780689800214
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Sweet Melissa
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48