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Timmy the Fish
Timmy the Fish is a full color children’s story about a small fish who is bullied at school by some of his older peers. With the help from his friends, he learns how to overcome these bullies without resorting to violence. At home or school, Timmy the Fish serves as an effective discussion tool when talking to children about bullying. The following are letters by students from a North Dakota 2nd grade class that read Timmy the Fish with their “I learned not to be afraid of bullies. I also learned it’s ok to be afraid of bullies. I learned that you might be afraid of people that you see right away but might just come to be friends.” - Dalton “I like the pictures very much. I learned that bullying is not nice. I learned that fish go to school. We learned that we should not push other people around because it is not nice.” - Sierra “I learned not to be a bully. Not to be afraid. Timmy had a big friend, the friends name was Brutus. Brutus swam with Timmy and became friends.” - Lexee “I learned that you should stand up for yourself. I also learned that some people might be nicer then people say. I really liked your pictures.” - Suria
30 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 23, 2013
Timmy the Fish by Sean A. Kollman
Illustrated by Alicia C. Mattern
In these troubled days, it's a joy to see a picture book aimed at young children, particularly in the early grades, with an anti-bullying theme they can understand. Timmy the Fish, with its adorable illustrations, is just that book. Children can probably relate to this book easier than to one featuring other children. When Timmy is bullied by bigger fish he has feelings of fear and sadness, but this all changes when he meets the biggest and oldest fish and learns that he had been bullied, too. Their friendship solidifies as Brutus the Largemouth Bass tells how he was able to free himself of the bullies. With Brutus' kindness, Timmy is happy that he can rejoin his young friends in the school without fear. At the back of the book there are some helpful links about dealing with bullying. An unusual take on a serious problem, this illustrated short story stands on its own as entertainment and education.
Includes links to resources.
Illustrated by Alicia C. Mattern
In these troubled days, it's a joy to see a picture book aimed at young children, particularly in the early grades, with an anti-bullying theme they can understand. Timmy the Fish, with its adorable illustrations, is just that book. Children can probably relate to this book easier than to one featuring other children. When Timmy is bullied by bigger fish he has feelings of fear and sadness, but this all changes when he meets the biggest and oldest fish and learns that he had been bullied, too. Their friendship solidifies as Brutus the Largemouth Bass tells how he was able to free himself of the bullies. With Brutus' kindness, Timmy is happy that he can rejoin his young friends in the school without fear. At the back of the book there are some helpful links about dealing with bullying. An unusual take on a serious problem, this illustrated short story stands on its own as entertainment and education.
Includes links to resources.
June 14, 2013
b>What it’s About:
Timmy is a little perch living in a lake filled with a variety of fish. When Timmy goes to school, he is pushed and shoved around by some bigger and older fish. Timmy feels very sad until he meets the legendary Brutus, a Largemouth Bass, who befriends the little perch and teaches him the secret to standing up to bullies. Timmy learns that bullies are really cowards and that if he just “swims like a shark” they would soon leave him alone. Brave little Timmy returns to school and soon encounters the bullies once again. Read the book to find out what happens when Timmy bravely stands up to his tormentors.
b>My Thoughts:
Little Timmy is an inspirational story about bullying, a common theme in schools in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere. What I love about the story is that it describes what bullying can look like (e.g., pushing and shoving) and it also describes the effects of bullying. Here is an example from the text:
Importantly, the story contains the message that bullies are actually cowards and that (sometimes) it just takes the courage to stand up to the bullies to put an end to their bad behaviour. While this may be a bit simplistic, and in some cases, this may not have the desired effect, it is worth noting that the book is targeting young children. When children are younger, the responses to bullying behaviour look different than with older children when interventions by adults may sometimes be necessary. In that respect, this picture book about bullying is an appropriate resource for teaching young children about bullying and responding to bullies.
I think many children will relate to Timmy as a character. Timmy is smaller than the rest of the fish and goes to school, just like all the young fish in the lake. He does what he’s told and has a few friends, but there are some bigger and older fish that push him around and make him feel bad. This is a pretty accurate representation of what sometimes occurs in schoolyards. Timmy is then mentored by a larger, more experienced fish, Brutus. Again, this often is what happens in real life as well with Brutus perhaps being a parent, teacher, an older schoolmate, an aunt, uncle, or cousin who helps a child who is being bullied at school.
The illustrations by Alicia Mattern all take up a whole page and are bright and colourful. They all have a blue and brown background representing the water and the sand, and they include a variety of fish found in a lake in the foreground. Many of the pictures also feature “thought bubbles” to show what the fish are thinking. They are very kid-friendly. My only comment would be that there was not enough variety in the illustrations – they all featured the same background (full page) with the fish in different poses. That being said, I really liked the style of illustrations and thought that the “thought bubbles” were a nice touch!
My Bottom Line:
Timmy the Fish features a wonderful story about bullying and having the courage to stand up to bullies. The book features a relatable main character, a strong positive message, and bright and engaging illustrations. My son and I both enjoyed the book and were able to have discussions about bullying based on what transpired in the story. I would recommend this book in preschool and kindergarten classes, library story-time, and for parents with children aged 3 years and up who want to share a story and have a discussion about bullying.
* I was given this book free-of-charge by the illustrator in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own. *
Timmy is a little perch living in a lake filled with a variety of fish. When Timmy goes to school, he is pushed and shoved around by some bigger and older fish. Timmy feels very sad until he meets the legendary Brutus, a Largemouth Bass, who befriends the little perch and teaches him the secret to standing up to bullies. Timmy learns that bullies are really cowards and that if he just “swims like a shark” they would soon leave him alone. Brave little Timmy returns to school and soon encounters the bullies once again. Read the book to find out what happens when Timmy bravely stands up to his tormentors.
b>My Thoughts:
Little Timmy is an inspirational story about bullying, a common theme in schools in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere. What I love about the story is that it describes what bullying can look like (e.g., pushing and shoving) and it also describes the effects of bullying. Here is an example from the text:
“Timmy would get so sad that he would trail along behind the rest of the school with the older, slower fish.”
Importantly, the story contains the message that bullies are actually cowards and that (sometimes) it just takes the courage to stand up to the bullies to put an end to their bad behaviour. While this may be a bit simplistic, and in some cases, this may not have the desired effect, it is worth noting that the book is targeting young children. When children are younger, the responses to bullying behaviour look different than with older children when interventions by adults may sometimes be necessary. In that respect, this picture book about bullying is an appropriate resource for teaching young children about bullying and responding to bullies.
I think many children will relate to Timmy as a character. Timmy is smaller than the rest of the fish and goes to school, just like all the young fish in the lake. He does what he’s told and has a few friends, but there are some bigger and older fish that push him around and make him feel bad. This is a pretty accurate representation of what sometimes occurs in schoolyards. Timmy is then mentored by a larger, more experienced fish, Brutus. Again, this often is what happens in real life as well with Brutus perhaps being a parent, teacher, an older schoolmate, an aunt, uncle, or cousin who helps a child who is being bullied at school.
The illustrations by Alicia Mattern all take up a whole page and are bright and colourful. They all have a blue and brown background representing the water and the sand, and they include a variety of fish found in a lake in the foreground. Many of the pictures also feature “thought bubbles” to show what the fish are thinking. They are very kid-friendly. My only comment would be that there was not enough variety in the illustrations – they all featured the same background (full page) with the fish in different poses. That being said, I really liked the style of illustrations and thought that the “thought bubbles” were a nice touch!
My Bottom Line:
Timmy the Fish features a wonderful story about bullying and having the courage to stand up to bullies. The book features a relatable main character, a strong positive message, and bright and engaging illustrations. My son and I both enjoyed the book and were able to have discussions about bullying based on what transpired in the story. I would recommend this book in preschool and kindergarten classes, library story-time, and for parents with children aged 3 years and up who want to share a story and have a discussion about bullying.
* I was given this book free-of-charge by the illustrator in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own. *
December 8, 2012
My kids love this book not only for the beautiful anti-bullying message but for the gorgeous illustrations! This is an essential teaching tool for any elementary classroom. Kudos to the author and the illustrator for giving us such a valuable book for our families and our schools!
Wolfgang Pie ~ Bestselling Author of the Children's Ice Age Adventure, TUSK
Wolfgang Pie ~ Bestselling Author of the Children's Ice Age Adventure, TUSK
December 3, 2012
This book is beautifully written and easy to follow for young ones. The bold and bright illustrations keep kids captivated! I would recommend this book for all kids, parents and teachers!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews