Gus Gets Badgered: When You Meet a Bully

Good News for Little Hearts

by Julie Lowe, Joe Hox (Illustrator)

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 29, 2025

About the author

Julie Lowe is a faculty member at CCEF. She holds an MA in counseling from Biblical Theological Seminary. She is a licensed professional counselor with over 18 years of counseling experience. Julie is also a registered play therapist and has developed a play therapy office at CCEF to better serve families, teens, and children Julie and her husband, Greg, have six children and serve as foster and adoptive parents. She is the author of Childproof: Parenting by Faith Not Formula and has written minibooks and numerous articles for the Journal of Biblical Counseling.

Reviews

[Emily Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gus Gets Badgered’ is the latest addition to the Good News for Little Hearts Series. This is one of my favourite series for dealing with emotions and behaviour in a gospel centred and biblical manner.

✨Synopsis

Gus, Jax, and Manny become friends with Wesley, the new cub in town — but Wesley often teases and picks on Gus. Feeling hurt and unsure, Gus turns to his dad for advice.
With guidance and encouragement from his friends, Gus finds his voice to speak up the next time Wesley is unkind.

💭 Thoughts

There’s a lot to love about this book! It gives a biblical response to bullying and does encourage children to wisely stand up to bullying. It also reminds children their worth in God and not the opinions of others.

It was wise to show the example of Gus sharing the problem with his dad, who gives wisdom and empathy based on his own experience and ultimately points to scripture. It gives encouragement for children to pray about the situation and seek God’s strength to face it. I also liked that the friends help him stand up to the bully.

Another thing I appreciated was the fact they dealt with the root causes of the bully’s behaviour and identifies jealousy as the heart issue. It doesn’t just speak to those being bullied but also the bully.

At the back there is a great and helpful parent guide giving biblical wisdom on how to help your child face bullying as well as verse cards that can be cut out and carried by your child.

A book about bullying can always be a double edge sword as it actually exposes children to ideas on how to bully. Gus is left out and teased for his weight which could encourage children to copy. However, if your child is facing these issues then this is a comforting book to help them realize they are not alone and to speak God’s truth into the situation.

[Cover Lover Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gus Gets Badgered tackles the important issue of bullying, a topic that resonates with young readers today. Bullying isn’t limited to the playground or neighborhood anymore—it’s become common online, too.

In this story, Gus is a gentle raccoon who faces bullying from Wesley, the new badger in town. Despite Gus’s kindness, Wesley continues to treat him poorly. Fortunately, Gus has caring parents who encourage him to speak directly to Wesley about the situation. They gently remind Gus that he is fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God will give him the strength he needs.

At the end of the book, there’s a helpful section for parents with tips on supporting their child through bullying. It also includes four tear-out card featuring Scripture verses to inspire and encourage.

First Line: As summer turned to fall, the leaves of the Great Maple turned into a canopy of red.
Series: Good News for Little Hearts
Genre: Children
Author: Julie Lowe
Page Count: 32
Reading Age: 4-8

#CoverLoverBookReview received a review copy of this book. Opinions are 100% my own.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Gus Gets Badgered by Julie Lowe

This book is a wonderful lesson on bullying, wrapped in cozy fall themes that come alive through beautiful illustrations. The way the characters don’t respond to the bully at first feels very authentic, since children often aren’t sure what to do in these situations. I especially appreciate how Gus’s dad brings a Biblical perspective, helping him understand how to deal with Wesley in a way that honors God. It’s exactly the kind of lesson parents will love having their children learn from this story.

My own children (ages 9 and 4) loved the story, which makes me even more excited to share it with others.

Thank you, New Growth Press, for creating this series! I’m looking forward to adding a copy of Gus Gets Badgered to our library and exploring the other titles in the series as well.

Thank you to New Growth Press for the early PDF copy to review.

[Rolling Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gus Gets Badgered has become a favorite read in our house this Fall.

The main character, a little Raccoon named Gus, is a good cub who is kind and generous and loves playing with his friends Jax and Manny. Then a new cub, Wesley, moves in and wins the affection of his friends but starts bullying him. He feels uncomfortable and asks his dad what he should do. His dad shares the Good News: We don’t have to get even with those who hurt us. We can pray and courageously confront them with God’s help. With the help of his friends he’s able to speak up the next time Wesley is mean to him.

My boys loved reading Gus Gets Badgered and asked to read it again and again! I love the biblically based guidance for recognizing and responding to bullying. There’s even pocket bible verses at the back!

I highly recommend this book for kids ages 5-8.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every child will encounter a bully at some point in their life. Gus Gets Badgered is the perfect book to help them better understand the bully. Flenders seems to understand young children and has written a story that will speak to them. I appreciated that she, through the dad in the story, directs readers/listeners to the Bible.
She closes the book with a short section for adults on helping children with bullying. Parents and teachers will find useful tips in this section.
Joe Hox uses a cartoon-like style to illustrate the text. His images compliment the text well and give children an idea of what a badger looks like.
Gus Get Badgered would be a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for preschoolers and primary-aged children.
I received a complimentary copy of Gud Gets Badgered. This is my honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful biblical approach to a common issue for children.