00006738

SS
This story is about a little dinosaur, Boland, that is bullied by a stronger and bigger dinosaur called Tyrone. Although Boland tries to be kind with Tyrone, he did not stop bullying him. Finally, Boland outsmarts the big bully by making a sandwich with huge amounts of hot pepper so when Tyrone eats it, he learns a lesson

did not enjoy this story as much as I had hoped for a few different reasons. First, I personally found some of the images of Tyrone the T-Rex to be frightening, specifically the one on the cover the book. While I understand that the illustrator was trying to distinguish kind-hearted Boland from nasty Tyrone, the use of specific colors and sharp edges give off a feeling of uneasiness. Second, I do not agree with the way in which Boland attempts to handle dealing with Tyrone’s bullying. For example, when Boland challenges Tyrone to a fight, he gets injured and has to visit the nurse to make sure everything is okay. While I think that it is great that his friends are trying to help him, I ultimately believe that the best way to address Tyrone’s bullying would be to talk about the situation with a trusted adult. Despite my differing opinion, however, this story does address important topics for students, such as friendship and standing up for one’s self. ( )

Summary:
Tyrone the Horrible is about a dinosaur who bullies another little dinosaur named Boland. Tyrone would always steal Boland's food and hurt him. Boland was tired of it and wanted to stop the bullying. He tried to be his friend, he tried to ignore him, and he tried to stand up to him. But Tyrone wouldn't stop. Boland got the idea of putting hot peppers in his sandwich for Tyrone for when he stole it. Tyrone ended up leaving him alone after he burned his mouth from the peppers.
Personal reaction:
I think this book is a good way for children to get courage if someone ever does bully them. Sometimes trying to be someones friend or not giving them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt your feelings is enough to get them to stop.
Extension ideas:
One extension could be for the kids to color a picture of Boland trying to be Tyrone's friend.
Another extension idea could be for the kids to talk about why being nice to everybody is important and why we should never bully someone.

I have mixed feelings about this book after I finished reading it. I liked how the illustrations personified the dinosaurs to be like real children and the story written from a dinosaur’s perspective, but it was really a metaphor for children to identify with. The dinosaurs ate sandwiches and ice cream, built sand castles, yet they still did what typical dinosaurs would do such as eating leaves and sleeping next to a tree. Children who are dealing with bullying can identify with the protagonist, Boland, and the bully, Tyrone, in their personal lives. The illustrations of the dinosaurs’ expressions and actions enhanced the story’s depth without having the text describe all the hurt Boland was going through. I was ok with the plot; towards the end it started to build towards suspense and the climax. Throughout the story, Boland listens to his friends’ advice on how to deal with Tyrone, but nothing works. It isn’t until the very that Boland came to a conclusion, “Suddenly, he smiled a big smile. ‘That’s it!” he said to himself”. That part of the plot built up a lot of suspense for the very end to see how Boland would deal with Tyrone’s constant bullying. However, I didn’t particularly like the outcome or message of the story. Boland’s concluded that he would prank Tyrone by allowing him to steal Boland’s sandwich which was filled with hot spicy peppers that burned his mouth. I don’t think that the ending was the best example for the children to deal with their problems. It may encourage them to get even with their bullies by being mean back to them. The main message of the story is to not allow your bully to overpower you and to cleverly stand up for yourself. Personally, I think this story could’ve had a better ending, even if it may not have been a happy one. At least this story should teach children how to effectively and responsibly deal with people who are constantly hurting them. ( )