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Summary
Summary
Llama Llama likes to sing.
Gilroy laughs at everything.
Llama sings out just the same.
Gilroy says a not-nice name.
Teacher has some things to say-
calling names is not OK.
Llama Llama is learning lots of new things at school and making many friends. But when Gilroy Goat starts teasing him and some of their classmates, Llama Llama isn't sure what to do. And then he remembers what his teacher told him-walk away and tell someone. It works! But then Llama Llama feels badly. Can he and Gilroy try to be friends again?
Taking on a difficult but important part of children's lives, Anna Dewdney gives readers a way to experience and discuss bullying in a safe and comforting way.
Author Notes
Anna Dewdney was born in New York City on December 25, 1965. She received a bachelor's degree in art from Wesleyan University in 1987. Before becoming a full-time author and illustrator, she worked as a waitress, a rural mail carrier, a daycare provider, and taught at a boys' boarding school for many years.
Her children's book career began in 1994 with her artwork for The Peppermint Race by Dian Curtis Regan. She went on to illustrate other children's chapter books in the 1990s. In 2005, the first picture book she both wrote and illustrated, Llama, Llama Red Pajama, was published. Her other books include Nobunny's Perfect, Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too, Little Excavator, and 10 more books in the Llama Llama series. She died after a 15-month battle with brain cancer on September 3, 2016.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (6)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Llama Llama is growing up-instead of being the source of "llama drama," he's more of a peacemaker in this empathic addition to Dewdney's popular series. Rather, it's classmate Gilroy Goat causing problems: he pokes fun at Llama and other students during circle time and throws a tantrum at recess. "Gilroy bleats and kicks the dirt./ He gets sand on Llama's shirt." Dewdney's canvas-textured paintings continue to express the deep emotions of her characters, and the story espouses the value of getting adults involved when bully goats act out-and of giving them second chances. Ages 3-5. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary Agency. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Being bullied is no fun... / Walk away / and tell someone!" Llama Llama follows his teacher's lead and tells a classmate to quit behaving like a bully. LL and friends tell their teacher, and "Gilroy gets a long time-out." The simplistic solution gives young children an easy-to-understand approach to coping with bullying. Dewdney's familiar character and the singsongy rhyming text help make the overt lesson palatable. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
The latest Llama Llama comic drama has a dual focus. The first is on the fun and learning encountered during a busy preschool day. The second is how all of this activity can be wrecked by one kid (literally a kid here a young goat), Gilroy, who is not only a billy goat but also, yes, a bully goat. Gilroy snickers at the others during class time, and during recess, he kicks up sand and knocks over the toys and equipment of others. No fooling around here; Dewdney's solution is to walk away and tell someone. Good advice couched in pleasant rhymes and gentle, nicely textured pastel illustrations.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
In four picture books, a menagerie of creatures teaches lessons on making friends and getting along. NO child (except yours and mine) is nice all the time. But we don't look the other way anymore when children are mean. Four new picture books about bullying substitute animals for children. This charming menagerie lightens things up, allows us to laugh, and sometimes sneaks in - or rams through - a valuable lesson. In Kate Messner's "Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish," Ernest the sea monster (familiar to readers of "Sea Monster's First Day") welcomes a newcomer to fish school who has trouble making friends. The new fish doles out unwelcome nicknames and hogs the dress-up clothes. "I'm a ninja-cowboy-dinosaur-wizard!" The last straw comes when he starts an exclusive club: "The Fresh Fish Club is for all of the cool fish - Lurch the Perch, Big Mouth, Smelly Smelt. You too, Ernesto-Saurus! I'm president." Ernest, taking the high road, starts a new club that welcomes all. "I decided I'd rather be a Friend Fish than a Fresh Fish," he says. Silly jokes are woven into Andy Rash's cartoonish illustrations; Ernest eats Sea Stars cereal, and the library has a book entitled "The World According to Carp." Though the text is heavy-handed, especially when Ernest is setting things right, Messner, author of the Marty McGuire chapter book series, subtly implies that the new fish is behaving badly because he feels vulnerable. Despite his abrasiveness, he wants to earn respect and make friends. Young readers will relate as they settle into the new school year. Alex Latimer, a South African writer and illustrator, doesn't hit us over the head with a message in "Lion vs. Rabbit." Lion is mean, and the other animals are too scared to stand up to him - Zebra brings a note from his mother - so they post an ad: "We need someone to make Lion stop bullying us. Reward of 100 bucks (mostly gazelle)." A few candidates apply for the job, but only Rabbit can get the better of Lion. Rabbit wins every competition: marshmallow eating, trivia quiz, foot race and more. Children may catch on to his sneaky ways - there are hints in the pictures - but Lion never does. "You're amazing," Lion says. "You win. I'll stop bullying the animals." It's too bad that Latimer renders Lion's victims overly passive and the aggressor a changed man only because he lost a bet; it makes the resolution less satisfying. Though peace is restored, neither the bully nor the victims have really learned anything. As in his earlier book "The Boy Who Cried Ninja," Latimer's illustrations are quirky and dryly funny. Most of the animals are drawn minimally, with Twinkieshaped bodies and Popsicle-stick legs. When Lion steals Hyena's "lunch monkey," Hyena holds the limp, dead monkey in one hand and a fork in the other. And when Rabbit sails home with his reward, his ship is indeed loaded with the gazelle bucks he was promised. Adults may wish for more depth, but older children will appreciate Latimer's edginess. For her very young audience, Laura Vaccaro Seeger uses little text and deceptively simple images to say a lot in "Bully." The animals' bodies are illustrated in crisp, flat colors with sketchy black outlines, while animated eyebrows and mouths emphasize their feelings. A background resembling handmade paper evokes the look and texture of barnyard hay. Seeger, winner of Caldecott Honors for "First the Egg" (2007 ) and "Green" (2012 ), sets the story in motion before the title page; a big bull tells a smaller one to "Go away!," launching the angry little bull on his tirade. As the story continues, he lashes out at his friends with insults so direct they're funny: "Chicken!" to the chicken, "Slow poke!" to the turtle, and so on. With each unkind remark he appears more aggressive and powerful; both his body and the text get larger and larger. Finally, the goat calls it like it is: "Bully!" Now deflated, the bull utters one small word, "Sorry," as a tear rolls down his cheek. What's lovely about "Bully" is that the little bull is a sympathetic character throughout. Having shown us the reason for his anger, Seeger offers children a way to root for him. She also provides a way out. Goat demonstrates that he doesn't need to act like a victim, and the other animals give the bull another chance. Anna Dewdney similarly writes touchingly about the emotions of young children. In "Llama Llama and the Bully Goat," the latest title in the best-selling Llama series, she presents characters that resemble Seeger's: an angry bully who gets a second chance and a friend who stands up to and later forgives him. Gilroy Goat is having a lousy day, culminating in an insult-hurling, sandthrowing tantrum on the playground. Llama Llama and Nelly Gnu, in Dewdney's bouncy rhyming text, don't flinch: "Gilroy, this is not O.K. Stop it, or we'll go away." As Gilroy continues to selfdestruct in the background, Llama and Nelly take the narrator's advice: "Being bullied is no fun! Walk away . . . and tell someone!" Gilroy, who stays near the teacher the rest of the day (she knits next to him when he sits in time out), finally pulls himself together, and it's Llama who asks him to play again. Dewdney uses textured brush strokes to paint characters with expressive faces and body language against bright, beautifully contrasting background colors. Children will recognize the familiar preschool setting, complete with circle time, recess and a gentle teacher who just happens to be a zebra. Like Seeger, Dewdney offers young readers a model for empathy, courage and forgiveness. It's an unfair, if not surprising, coincidence that the bullies in all four books are boys. (Alas, bullying is an equal opportunity offense.) But these bullies get a chance to show they're good on the inside. And, with the exception of Latimer's helpless chumps, their friends show their inner strength, too. * Bossy animals get their comeuppance, and a second chance: From left, "Bully," "Lion vs. Rabbit" and "Llama Llama and the Bully Goat." SEA MONSTER AND THE BOSSY FISH By Kate Messner Illustrated by Andy Rash 40 pp. Chronicle Books. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 5) LION VS. RABBIT Written and illustrated by Alex Latimer 32 pp. Peachtree. $15.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) BULLY Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger 40 pp. A Neal Porter Book/ Roaring Brook Press. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) LLAMA LLAMA AND THE BULLY GOAT Written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney 40 pp. Viking. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 5) Becca Zerkin, a paper engineer, is working on a pop-up science book for children.
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Llama Llama and his friends cannot enjoy their school day because Gilroy Goat is being a bully. He laughs at the other animals during circle time, and he calls Llama Llama a "not-nice name" when he tries to sing. Although Gilroy's teacher tries to correct his behavior, the bullying continues into recess (dirt throwing and destructiveness) until the llama calls him a Bully Goat. Realizing he's hurt potential new companions, Gilroy is happy to accept Llama Llama's renewed offer of friendship. Dewdney's characters are rendered in paint, pencil, and pastels. The victims, the bully, and even the witnesses all look scared, worried, or sad throughout the story. This book clearly shows children the social, emotional, and academic consequences of bullying, how to take a stand against it, and how to be tolerant of someone who needs a second chance. A great discussion starter.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Llama Llama loves the fun things he gets to do at school, but will a Bully Goat ruin his day? Writing, drawing, counting, playing with clay, singing songs during circle time--what's not to love about school? Well, being called names and laughed at for clapping and singing along, for one thing. Being the target of sand that's kicked and dirt that's thrown for another. Teacher has already made it clear that Gilroy Goat's name-calling will not be tolerated, but Teacher isn't near the sandbox. What will Llama Llama and Nelly Gnu do? Stand up to him, of course: "Gilroy, this is not OK. / Stop it, or we'll go away." They then walk away and tell a teacher. After Gilroy's requisite lecture and long timeout, kindly Llama Llama approaches him, offering to let him play. While the resolution is too pat, and everyone gets over their feelings unbelievably quickly, still, Dewdney's lovable Llama Llama offers children one strategy to combat bullying, all couched in her trademark rhyming verse and presented through situations that are sure to resonate with those new-to-school. Her textured oil, colored-pencil and oil-pastel illustrations shine when portraying the animals' faces--joy, discomfort, surprise, anger, stubbornness, disappointment are all crystal-clear on them. While children should not expect a Bully Goat to change his ways so quickly, this does provide them with some tools against bullying. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
