Pinky And Rex And The Bully (Ready-To-Read Level 3) [Paperback]

James Howe (Author), Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Book Description

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?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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.

From Booklist

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight; First Edition edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689808348
• ISBN-13: 978-0689808340
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( H ) > Howe, James
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Bullies
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Violence

More About the Author

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2* Excellent Book for Elementary School Kids, July 11, 2001

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pinky And Rex And The Bully (Ready-To-Read Level 3) (Paperback)

Billy was nicknamed "Pinky" because of his love for the color; even his stuffed animals have a bit of pink somewhere on them. He's got no problem with the name until a school bully begins taunting him, calling him a girl (generally not received well by seven-year-old boys), and generally intimidating him.

Pinky, wondering if he's too old for such a nickname, decides to change his name back to Billy, and give his beloved animals to his sister. Fortunately, an older neighborhood woman teaches him to accept himself as he is:

"It's hard to be different, isn't it, Billy? ....But, believe me, it's worse not to be yourself. Don't change for other people, Billy. Other people will come and go in your life. Do what's right for the one person who will always be with you--yourself."

Her advise, and some newfound assertion by Billy/Pinky helps him out: "Pinky walked straight up to Kevin and poked him in the chest . . . 'I'm not a sissy and I'm not a girl. And if you think so, it just shows how dumb you are.'" OK, so Pinky gets slightly physical, but, overall, this is a fine book for the bullied--and those who bully them. Forty pages long, with lovely soft color illustrations, a non preachy tone, and a nice inter-generational angle. This book really seems to know the seven- year-old's mind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect lesson for another boy who loves PINK!, August 12, 2009

By 

R. Day (Dale, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pinky And Rex And The Bully (Ready-To-Read Level 3) (Paperback)

My 4 year old loves pink. His room is pink, his stuffed animals are pink. He has often been hurt by thoughtless children AND adults who can't resist pointing out that PINK is a girl color. We encourage him to be himself and enjoy in spite of what any one else thinks. But even our loving support couldn't do what this book does.

It lays the issue out in a clear understandable way. The choice to give up what he loves to suit others and avoid bullying humiliation is painful to read. My boy instantly connected with what Pinky was losing and cried bitterly. When the elderly neighbor perceives the problem and offers her own experience as example we were so relieved. But best of all in the end when Pinky gets his PINK stuff back and confronts the bully. He is no longer self doubting. He is prepared to stand up for himself and what he likes. He became a permanent hero for us.

Poignant, without being maudlin or sappy. Well done and Thank you.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is Accelerated Reader Rated, March 7, 2011

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vkmays - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Pinky And Rex And The Bully (Ready-To-Read Level 3) (Paperback)

My childrens' school participates in the Accelerated Reader Program. This book is AR rated. James Howe is an excellent auther for early readers. The stories have great themes, and are extremely well written!