Tease Monster: A Book About Teasing vs. Bullying (Building Relationships)

Is the Tease Monster a friend or a foe?

That's what "One of a Kind" has to figure out in this quirky tale that teaches young readers the difference between nice teasing and mean teasing.

One-of-a-Kind is truly unique. Made up of multiple colors, One has big feet, loves eating banana popsicles while standing upside down, and can ride a unicycle and play the accordion at the same time. But when Purple laughs at One for being weird, Green playfully calls One a "klutz" for tripping over his big feet on the stairs, and Plaid calls him a "brainiac" for acing his math test, One feels rotten and tells his mom that he's never going back to school.

One doesn't understand the difference between friendly teasing and mean teasing. But with Mom's help, One learns that teasing is part of life and that laughing at someone (mean teasing) can have a hurtful bite, while laughing with someone (nice teasing) can be all right...if it’s not done out of spite! 

Mom does her best to come up with a formula for identifying the difference between a nice tease and a mean tease. Using this creative process, Mom walks One through the examples he experienced to help him problem solve to come up with his own decisions on when someone is friendly teasing and when someone is just being mean. She also helps One learn what it means and how it might feel when someone bullies you.

Through this creative example, award-winning author Julia Cook helps provide a more concrete solution to the complex concept of understanding the difference between teasing and bullying.

Tease Monster is part of Julia Cook’s Building Relationships book series. Included in the book are tips for parents and educators on how to help children understand the differences between teasing and bullying.

Julia Cook, a former teacher and school counselor, writes books for children that let them laugh while learning to solve their own problems, use better behavior, and develop healthy relationships. She has authored many books for children and teachers, including But It's Not My Fault and I Just Don't Like the Sound of No. She has received the Association for Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award, and her books have been honored by The National Parenting Center and Mom's Choice Awards.