Review: We are all Different but we are all Kitty Cats- Peter

 

In today's society,  bullying is quite a big topic and unfortunately it is something that most children starting from a young age have to encounter. Whether your child may be the bully or the victim , we can teach them that bullying is wrong and a fun way is to read them stories about Bullying etc.

Review: We're all Different but we're all Kitty Cats - Peter Goodman -July 2012

As someone who is passionate about stopping bullying, this was a great book to read and as my day job is a Children's and Teens Librarian , I was thinking that this would be an awesome book to read to school children about bullying and the way it can make people feel.  One of the other things that I really liked about Peter's book was that he made each of the cats different and have different hobbies as in today's society when children start school , they may be in a class of white, maoris, blacks and indians etc. Some may have glasses and be scrawny like Vinny and some may be tough and strong like Carlos. Growing up I was bullied and I even lost my hair caused to stress as a 7yr old and developed a form of Alopecia . Lucky it grew back when I was 12yrs old but in those 5yrs I found myself bullied alot and retreated into the world of books, writing and libraries. No matter what your child is like, they may encounter bullying and parents it is your job to teach them about it , comfort them and give them advice on how to overcome it as it does get better eventually and soon they will grow into great, strong men and women.

This book tells the story of Vinny , a cat with no fur whose about to start his first day at school when he meets a bully named Carlos. Carlos picks on Vinny by saying that he can't be a cat as he has no fur. Vinny heads home in tears and we read as his mother tells him -"He is special" , the next day the teacher asks the class about the alphabet and Vinny with his love of reading -knows the WHOLE alphabet off by heart and soon the other kids start to encourage and be nice towards Carlos.

Before we end the review , I would love to share an excerpt from the book - a poem inspired by the title.

 

"My meow is loud, mine is soft

I am tall and I am short

I am chubby and I am skinny

My tail is long, mine is stubby

I am shy and I am not

We're all different , but we're all kitty cats".