Flop Ear

Rikki

by Guido Van Genechten

He's an endearing little rabbit with one ear that simply refuses to stand up straight--the way every other rabbit's ears always stand up. That's why everybody calls him Flop Ear. Kids who read this story and smile over the pictures will think he's cute. But Flop Ear doesn't think so. Flop Ear is sad because he isn't the same as all the other rabbits. "Lop-ear Flop Ear!" they laugh at him. This charming story describes Flop Ear's humorous attempts to make his ear stand up straight. He wants to be like everyone else. But at last he realizes that sometimes, it's just as good to be different. Full-color illustrations on every page of this charming book. (Ages 3-6)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Guido Van Genechten is een Vlaamse schrijver en illustrator.

Guido Van Genechten in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia


Guido Van Genechten is a Flemish writer and illustrator.

Reviews

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rikki is een konijntje. Hij voelt zich anders dan zijn vriendjes, want hij heeft één rechtopstaand oor en één hangoor. De andere konijntjes lachen hiermee, en dan wordt hij verdrietig.
Dit is een verhaaltje voor 4-6jarigen, zodat de kindjes kunnen begrijpen dat ànders zijn toch evenwaardig kan zijn.

[Kinga (oazaksiazek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo ciekawie ilustrowana bajka dla dzieci o słodkim króliczku, który różnił się od innych. Rikuś ma bowiem jedno oklapnięte uszko i z tego powodu jest wyśmiewany.

Książka o akceptacji, postrzeganiu siebie i sposobie radzenia sobie z zaistniałą sytuacją.

Na pewno nie każdemu się spodoba, bo Rikuś podszedł do problemu ze specyficznym poczuciem humoru.

Raczej dla starszych przedszkolaków, więc wrócimy do niej za jakiś czas.

[Jvermeersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meegekregen in het valiesje van de klasknuffel toen die een weekend bij ons kwam logeren. Ik ben geen fan van de boeken van Guido Van Genechten, en deze is helemaal in zijn typische stijl (geschilderd met zo'n slechte afwerking dat je het millimeterpapier er overal nog tussen ziet). Maar het verhaal in deze is wel warm en positief. Hieruit voorlezen met de klasknuffel erbij was zo toch een leuk moment (tot tweemaal toe).

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flop Ear's ear is different than the other rabbits, it hangs down. He tries everything to make it stand up, even goes to the doctor to ask about cutting it off. But the doctor offers Flop Ear some sound advice and he begins to accept his individuality. The other rabbits learn to accept him too.

There are some contradictions in the message and illustrations and the story line is not believable but I do think it is an "ok" book to use to address bullying.

[Sanne (SignedbySanne) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just so incredibly cute..

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

We got this at work and the cover looked so cute I just had to read it.
Adorable story about a little bunny who's ears look different than the other bunny's ears. He tries to make his ears look like all the other's in alot of weird but funny ways.

Wonderful story about accepting yourself and your unique features. Totally would recommend for children of any age. Delievers the message really well.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuopuksen, perheemme suurimman pupu-fanin, mielestä tämä kirja oli kerrassaan ihana. Itse kaipasin ehkä syvällisempää juonta kiusaamisen ja erilaisuuden käsittelyyn, mutta hyväksyn tämän tarinan tällaisenaan. Kävimme esikoisen kanssa kirjan lukemisen jäljestä täydentävän keskustelun aiheesta.

[Miha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have

[Delphinekayous · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all different and this is great

[Joeri Dassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi kinderverhaal.

[Lililyanana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ricky get teased and bullied, and ends up yelling that he wants to cut off his floppy ear. The synopsis on the back cover says there are dumb rabbits and smart rabbits.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an ideal book to discuss the topic of differences and bullying. The character, Floppy the rabbit, is being taunted by his fellow rabbit peers due to one ear being "floppy." Believing there is something wrong with him, Floppy tries to remedy his ear.

Floppy hangs upside down from a tree to try to straighten his ear. He then tries to hide his ear under a tea-cosy and then proceeds to place a carrot in his floppy ear to prop it up straight. He continues to resolve the problem of his floppy ear by using a stick and string, using a bandage and even tries a fishing rod and a peg. All these stunts were to no avail to remedy his floppy ear.

In his last desperate attempt, Floppy ties a balloon to his ear in the hope it would straighten it out. Believing there is still something wrong with him, Floppy visits the doctor and the doctor explains that it does not matter that his ear is floppy, as "ears come in different shapes and sizes." This lifts Floppy's spirits and he proceeds to walk home where the other rabbits are sitting there and state they are bored without Floppy as there is no one else to make them laugh. The other rabbits beg Floppy to show them a new trick to try to straighten his ear and they all try to mimic Floppy.

This story is an excellent resource to tackle the topic of bullying and is primarily aimed at KS1 classes. The text is extremely child friendly and unambiguous, with excellent illustrations. Another feature of this story is that it is also a dual language book, with my copy in Albanian. Therefore, it is also idea to use with EAL children to portray to them firstly about issues surrounding bullying and secondly, to teach EAL children that although they may come from different countries and cultures, everyone in the world is different and have something to bring with them. Again, this story can also be used for pupils with SEN who may be on the receiving end of bullying, to show them that we all have our differences.

Although there are benefits to this story to address bullying, specifically that we have to accept people in society may be "different" from us, the outcome is slightly confusing. Floppy indeed accepts that he is different, but the story is resolved by the other rabbits mimicking his floppy ear, of which Floppy doesn't seem to mind as he is "making them laugh." This of course can be one way to deal with it, as some adults do, as long as it is harmless. However, this book is aimed at children and one may portray that this book states to deal with bullying is to play along or see the "funny side" of our differences/inadequacies, which children may not be able and/or want to do.

[Chris1988 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most rabbits have straight ears except Floppy who has one straight ear and one floppy ear. The story follows Floppy’s struggle to fit in with his friends and the lengths he goes to have to straight ears. However is being different a bad thing?

I found this story very heart warming and a brilliant story to highlight the important lesson that it is okay to be different. What is also brilliant about this story is that it is written in dual languages; English and one of 15 other languages. An EAL child would be able to relate to being different from their classmates and would be able to empathize with the feeling of being different or excluded from their friends or in social situations. Introducing this story to an EAL child would be an excellent tool to engage the child in lessons across the curriculum that they struggle to access due to language barriers. It could also be used for a whole class activity in possibly in a PSHE lesson to understand that differences should be celebrated and people should not be excluded due to these differences.

This book could be used with children from EYFS to KS1 as an important tool to help engage EAL children in lessons and for whole class PSHE discussions.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rikuś to zwyczajny, mały zajączek. Tak jak wszystkie zajączki ma dwie łapki, dwie nóżki, pyszczek, krótkie spodenki i dwa długie uszka. Ale… Uszka Rikusia są trochę inne, niż wszystkich. Jedno sterczy do góry, a drugie jest oklapnięte i za nic nie chce się wyprostować. Koledzy przezywają króliczka “Kłapouch” i często śmieją się z niego. Rikuś marzy tylko o jednym – o dwóch jednakowych, dumnie sterczących uszach i próbuje wszelkich sposobów, by to marzenie spełnić. Gdy wszystko zawodzi, postanawia odwiedzić gabinet lekarza. Dopiero tam dowiaduje się, że z jego uszkiem jest wszystko w porządku i tak naprawdę nie ma jednakowych uszu – wszystkie są inne. To daje Rikusiowi do myślenia. Jednocześnie okazuje się, że złośliwi koledzy wcale nie są tacy źli, a na dodatek istnieje sposób, by wszyscy mieli jednakowe uszka.

Więcej na: http://czytajacamama.pl/guido-van-gen...

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very basic book , (without being in your face) about bullying. Ricky has an ear than bends, and the kids tease him. He goes to the dr. and the dr says that it is a good ear, it hears really well, just "lacks a little firmness" So Ricky moves on with his life and accepts his differences and he finds out that the people who are really his friends love him ears and all!

I am a sucker for Bunnies, and when a book vendor showed me this book I said "done, I want the whole series" They are sweet books, made me a little weepy. The pictures are lovely, the stories are sweet, I think I am in love with this series!! I want to grab my little Stuff animal bunnies and squeeze! They are so cute!!!

[MsEleanorMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter has loved the Floppy books, here referred to as 'Ricky' books (of which we have read about 4) from about age 3 on wards - she is now nearly 8.

She repeatedly has sought them out for the stories and illustrations.

There is a moral or two taught in each book and my daughter really identified with both floppy and the other characters.

Very few books have held her attention as these.

Guido Van Genechten appears to be undervalued in English speaking countries.

They are simply brilliant children's books!

[MissInformation · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ricky is a rabbit with one firm ear and one floppy ear. Other bunnies tease him so he tries different methods to make the ear stand up. The other bunnies laugh. After a visit to the doctor, he accepts that his ear is as good as anyone's, and when the other bunnies ask if he has any more tricks, he has them all tie one ear down to make them look like him.

The illustrations are guache- bold and very cute.

[Linh Tong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricky the rabbit was different from everyone else because one of his ears hang down while the other ear hangs up. He tried to be like everyone else by getting both of his ears to stand up. In the end he realized that nothing was wrong with his ear, and that it's okay to be different. I would read this book at the beginning of the school year to help students understand that it's okay to be themselves because that's what makes them unique.

[Kira Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a good moral about accepting yourself as you are because we are all different. This book also had antonyms and synonyms in it. Ricky was bullied because his ears were different then the other rabbits. This book could be a good book to discourage bullying and allow students to see how it hurts others feelings!

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bold illustrations which go along with this story about how ears can be different and still be ok
Ricki is a rabbit who is embarrassed by his right ear, which doesn't stand up straight like his left ear-- or all of his friends' ears.

[Rayn · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024
dit is zo'n boek waarom ik me afvraag waarom ik het nog heb. ik hoop dan dat ik het kan lezen en het boek weggeven en zo mijn kast dan een beetje opruimen, maar dan lees ik het en dan weet ik weer waarom ik deze oorspronkelijk had gehouden.

[Krista]

This might be a little book but it is wicked awesome. Yea. It gets all sad in the middle when he thinks theree is something wrong with him.

[Sharn Dhah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations. I read the version that is in English and Punjabi.

[Mips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nederlandse titel "Rikki"