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Stop Picking On Me
Are there children in your life who are experiencing the pain of a bully? This book will help give kids advice and information in a gentle and sensitive way. It will also help kids accept the normal fears and worries that accompany bullying while suggesting ways to resolve this upsetting experience. Parents, teachers, and gift givers will The A First Look At series promotes positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers, and encourage kids to ask questions and confront social and emotional questions that sometimes present problems. Books feature appealing full-color illustrations on every page plus a page of advice to parents and teachers.
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2000
4 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Pat Thomas
192 books8 followersThere is more than one Pat Thomas in the Goodreads catalog. This entry focuses on Pat^Thomas, children's author.
Pat is a trained psychotherapist, naturopath and journalist. After working as a journalist and broadcaster in the USA, she now works in the field of child development and writes for various publications including 'Practical Parenting'.
Pat is a trained psychotherapist, naturopath and journalist. After working as a journalist and broadcaster in the USA, she now works in the field of child development and writes for various publications including 'Practical Parenting'.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 21, 2017
Summary: This book is about the ways in which we can see bullying and what we can do to stop it. The book goes into detail about the life that people must go through during the bullying process. The book gives in depth details about what a bully is and what we should do when we see the bully. The book also gives insight on the solutions that kids can use to get rid of the bully situation they are in. The book has no characters, but it gives motivation to kids who are going through tough times. The book introduces numerous ways in which kids can deal with bullies no matter the way they do it. Overall, the book into detail about the reasons kids become bullies and what we need to do right now to stop the spread of bullying from infecting our schools.
Major Themes: Bullying, Prevention, Joy
Personal Response: This book opened my eyes about the ways we can make an impact on a child's life if we just talk to them about what to do. A lot of the times we let children figure out things on their own and we may be hurting more than helping by doing so.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book because it gives children an insight on how to identify bullying and some practical ways to stop bullies. I would give this book to both child and adult as a tool for bringing up this conversation and helping others understand that we can make a difference in our community.
Major Themes: Bullying, Prevention, Joy
Personal Response: This book opened my eyes about the ways we can make an impact on a child's life if we just talk to them about what to do. A lot of the times we let children figure out things on their own and we may be hurting more than helping by doing so.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book because it gives children an insight on how to identify bullying and some practical ways to stop bullies. I would give this book to both child and adult as a tool for bringing up this conversation and helping others understand that we can make a difference in our community.
May 2, 2022
Stop Picking At Me by Pat Collins- Hindi language translation by Arvind Gupta- Children’s Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of children bullying another. In the educative book, it has been informed that reasons behind angry behaviour of children towards others may be their height, colour, failure to perform tasks, separation of parents, fighting between parents, angry parents etc. Children can avoid those who bully them. Teachers should study such bullying children’s behaviour and help them be helping them to solve their possible problems. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
August 14, 2021
“Bullies don’t like themselves very much. This makes it hard for them to like other people and treat them well. The only way bullies can like themselves is to pick on others. Doing this makes them feel more powerful.”
*While I will read this to my students during the first week of school, it also applies to adults!
*While I will read this to my students during the first week of school, it also applies to adults!
July 13, 2022
My mom bought me this book so I would stop bullying this girl at my church; it just made me bully her more
November 14, 2025
Important book/topic. I like how it includes questions you can ask within the story.
January 25, 2016
While this book has helpful tips regarding why some bullies may be bullying others, how a bully may make you feel and what you can do if you are being bullied, I have a few little problems with it. I love the simple and direct way that it addresses these things and the encouragement for open dialogue between parents and children reading this together. I could see this being very useful for a child that is being bullied and feels powerless and needs to learn how to talk about it and things. My four-year-old loves this book and has asked to read it several times since we got it from the library and she has never really faced a bullying situation personally. She loves to look at the pictures and point out who is being mean and that they shouldn't be doing those things, etc. I appreciate that as a mother. I want to say initially that this is a useful book and some parents may love it.
My first complaint is that I wish that there was an opportunity for children to see that they can stop bullying by stepping in and standing up for others that are being bullied. If a couple of kids were to try to defend those being bullied that could make a huge difference. That can be a scary thing for a child to do as they want to avoid the situation usually and are grateful it's not happening to them but a great way to stop bullying is to do something rather than watch it or video it happening as we see a lot these days. There are however useful tips for what you can do if you are the one being bullied. I wish there was a focus on watching bullying all around them and what they can do when they see it at all.
Here is my main problem with the book: I didn't really like the us vs. them tone throughout. On one page it is pointed out that at some time or another most people can act like a bully (and they are nice kids acting mean, but not real bullies) but "some people act this way all the time." It does address that those children (the bullies) often are that way because someone has hurt them, such as an adult or another bully and they don't like themselves. I just get this vibe that bullies are bad, mean people that want to hurt you rather than children that are suffering themselves and are acting out inappropriately.
I wish that the focus was on bullying. "Bullying can happen because", "there is never a good reason for bullying" "bullying can make some people feel good" rather than focusing on those people that have been directly labeled as Bullies. "Bullies do this", "Bullies like that", "the only way bullies can like themselves is to pick on others".
I love the advice given to not hit back and go to an adult and love yourself, trying to make one less bully by not being a bully yourself. I love that. I just didn't like the way that some children were labeled bullies and thus they did this and that rather than looking at them as children who were behaving a certain way. For me, it is never constructive for me to tell my kids that they are mean or they are rude. When I say they are being mean or acting rude I can still remind them that they are good kids that are not behaving well and thus they can correct this by making a change. Reading this text, I don't have much hope for these bullies changing.
My son had a child in his kindergarten class that was kind of the problem kid. He was a huge challenge, constantly in trouble and came from a rough situation and was clearly acting out. My son would come home and ask me if this boy was a bad kid and I told him no. If we tell that child or treat them like they are "bad" that is how they will continue to act. I told my son that he was a good boy that was making bad choices and that he could probably use a friend. We never have to say that the bad choices are ok or that it was ok that he was mean to the other children. That is not ok. But a person is more than their choices. I want to teach my children to look for the best in others and encourage them to be their best rather than writing people off as "bad" with no hope for making a change.
The big bad bullies featured in this book are children. Young children that have becomes this way for whatever reason but do that need to be labeled as a bully for their whole lives. It really was a good book but I just struggle with the whole tone that these children do bad things, therefore they are bad. There is a little mention of empathy for the children....but I just wasn't satisfied with it. I would like more of finding the good in a bully and perhaps making them a friend. That's not a fairytale- love and understanding goes a long way.
If the approach was slightly different I would have loved it. It just bothered me a bit.
My first complaint is that I wish that there was an opportunity for children to see that they can stop bullying by stepping in and standing up for others that are being bullied. If a couple of kids were to try to defend those being bullied that could make a huge difference. That can be a scary thing for a child to do as they want to avoid the situation usually and are grateful it's not happening to them but a great way to stop bullying is to do something rather than watch it or video it happening as we see a lot these days. There are however useful tips for what you can do if you are the one being bullied. I wish there was a focus on watching bullying all around them and what they can do when they see it at all.
Here is my main problem with the book: I didn't really like the us vs. them tone throughout. On one page it is pointed out that at some time or another most people can act like a bully (and they are nice kids acting mean, but not real bullies) but "some people act this way all the time." It does address that those children (the bullies) often are that way because someone has hurt them, such as an adult or another bully and they don't like themselves. I just get this vibe that bullies are bad, mean people that want to hurt you rather than children that are suffering themselves and are acting out inappropriately.
I wish that the focus was on bullying. "Bullying can happen because", "there is never a good reason for bullying" "bullying can make some people feel good" rather than focusing on those people that have been directly labeled as Bullies. "Bullies do this", "Bullies like that", "the only way bullies can like themselves is to pick on others".
I love the advice given to not hit back and go to an adult and love yourself, trying to make one less bully by not being a bully yourself. I love that. I just didn't like the way that some children were labeled bullies and thus they did this and that rather than looking at them as children who were behaving a certain way. For me, it is never constructive for me to tell my kids that they are mean or they are rude. When I say they are being mean or acting rude I can still remind them that they are good kids that are not behaving well and thus they can correct this by making a change. Reading this text, I don't have much hope for these bullies changing.
My son had a child in his kindergarten class that was kind of the problem kid. He was a huge challenge, constantly in trouble and came from a rough situation and was clearly acting out. My son would come home and ask me if this boy was a bad kid and I told him no. If we tell that child or treat them like they are "bad" that is how they will continue to act. I told my son that he was a good boy that was making bad choices and that he could probably use a friend. We never have to say that the bad choices are ok or that it was ok that he was mean to the other children. That is not ok. But a person is more than their choices. I want to teach my children to look for the best in others and encourage them to be their best rather than writing people off as "bad" with no hope for making a change.
The big bad bullies featured in this book are children. Young children that have becomes this way for whatever reason but do that need to be labeled as a bully for their whole lives. It really was a good book but I just struggle with the whole tone that these children do bad things, therefore they are bad. There is a little mention of empathy for the children....but I just wasn't satisfied with it. I would like more of finding the good in a bully and perhaps making them a friend. That's not a fairytale- love and understanding goes a long way.
If the approach was slightly different I would have loved it. It just bothered me a bit.
July 8, 2011
Thomas, Pat. (2000). Stop Picking on Me: A First Look At Bullying. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
For children in preschool to third grade. This is an informational book for parents (or teachers and counselors) to use to help children understand bullying and how to handle a bullying situation. There is a page at the end of the book to help parents and teachers use this book effectively with children. The illustrations use warm watercolors and lines to show the emotions of the children in the story. Throughout the book, there boxes titled, “What about you?” that have questions that can be used to open discussion about bullying with children. These questions give the children an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and relate the coping strategies to them more personally. Furthermore, the book focuses on teaching children to feel good about themselves and like themselves as a preventive measure to being bullied or becoming a bully. The book is straightforward and offers plenty of insight and information on bullying in a way that is clear to younger children. However, children might benefit more from a story of a child struggling with a bully situation, rather than to just be told about it. Children like to be able to relate to a main character, this book does not have one. Furthermore, the book states: “Feeling good about yourself and liking yourself is probably the best way to stop them” (Thomas, 2000, p. 25). I do not think that there is a “best way” to handle a bullying situation; children need to be exposed to several different coping strategies and determine which one is “best” for them. This book is ideal for sharing with a classroom of young students to open a unit on social issues or to generate discussion on bullying. Parents, may use this book to help their children understand their feelings during a bullying situation, a counselor might be more effective at helping a child manage their feeling in this situation. This book could be used in several settings as long as the child has an adult or a peer to discuss bullying afterwards.
For children in preschool to third grade. This is an informational book for parents (or teachers and counselors) to use to help children understand bullying and how to handle a bullying situation. There is a page at the end of the book to help parents and teachers use this book effectively with children. The illustrations use warm watercolors and lines to show the emotions of the children in the story. Throughout the book, there boxes titled, “What about you?” that have questions that can be used to open discussion about bullying with children. These questions give the children an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and relate the coping strategies to them more personally. Furthermore, the book focuses on teaching children to feel good about themselves and like themselves as a preventive measure to being bullied or becoming a bully. The book is straightforward and offers plenty of insight and information on bullying in a way that is clear to younger children. However, children might benefit more from a story of a child struggling with a bully situation, rather than to just be told about it. Children like to be able to relate to a main character, this book does not have one. Furthermore, the book states: “Feeling good about yourself and liking yourself is probably the best way to stop them” (Thomas, 2000, p. 25). I do not think that there is a “best way” to handle a bullying situation; children need to be exposed to several different coping strategies and determine which one is “best” for them. This book is ideal for sharing with a classroom of young students to open a unit on social issues or to generate discussion on bullying. Parents, may use this book to help their children understand their feelings during a bullying situation, a counselor might be more effective at helping a child manage their feeling in this situation. This book could be used in several settings as long as the child has an adult or a peer to discuss bullying afterwards.
September 4, 2013
We've all had our bullies, even as grown-ups. This book is meant to open a dialogue with your kids, but had some excellent tips in the back on how to deal with bullying from the adult viewpoint as well. The illustrations were sad in a sense, seeing kids being bullied like that. The world looks like a very threatening place. But on the other hand, doesn't the bullied child feel exactly that way? What I liked was at the end there wasn't a perfect picture of everyone getting along. There were still some bullies lurking, but they were at the back and didn't look as strong or powerful anymore. Talk about a subtle way of getting the point across!
If your child is being bullied do grab this book. Use it to begin the conversation. But don't stop there. Then take action. Don't let the bullies win!
If your child is being bullied do grab this book. Use it to begin the conversation. But don't stop there. Then take action. Don't let the bullies win!
October 26, 2013
This book was wonderfully written about the various forms of childhood bullying. It includes illustrations that accompany the information for students to access at their level. It discusses how anyone can be a bully, what bullying is, how bullying can take place anywhere including home or school, and why people at times bully others. It also includes information about how children may react emotionally and physically (i.e. lack of appetite, sleep) due to bullying. A great feature of this book is that on each page, it includes talking points/questions that you can ask students in order to discuss this issue farther. Another positive note about this book is that it encourages students to seek support from a responsible adult (i.e. teacher) when experiencing bullying.
Grade Levels: K-2
Grade Levels: K-2
November 18, 2016
Stop Picking on Me by Pat Thomas highlights about different ways children could be bullied in the classroom and why children bully other children. This book also give reason why we should not bully others. This book is a realistic fiction and when children listen and read this book they could relate to it by either being the bully or being the one who has gotten bullied in the classroom. This book is appropriate for children Pre-K to third grade. The guided reading level for this book is L. This book is a great book for teachable moments.
December 31, 2008
Great non-fiction book describing bullying behaviors, who to talk to, and what to do in a bullying situation. Also has discussion questions throughout the story that can be used to facilitate discussion about personal experiences. The only part that I didn't like is that it states that bullies have low self-esteem and that is why they pick on others- that is not true, it is the opposite, so I change that part when I read it. Respect Pillar- Bullying Second grade CC!
Read
August 3, 2012Some books are very subtle in their approach to touchy subjects. This is not the case. Thomas directly informs the reader what a bully is, what they can look like, who can be affected and how you can go about avoiding being a victim. Use this text for a dry direct approach with kids of all ages.
November 25, 2013
This book can help children think back on their own actions and put themselves in another's shoes. It would be a great book to read in a school environment to approach the topic of bullying and spread the message that it is not ok. And this book is also a good read to any individual children who have been bullied or you see bullying others.
April 10, 2015
Al final del libro hay una buena bibliografía y Guía para padres, pero en mi opinión, el libro asustaría a niños pequeños, mostrándoles imágenes de violencia, hasta de adultos hacia niños. El libro pone la mayoría de sus página describiendo el problema, y solo unas cuantas páginas al final dando sugerencias para enfrentar el acoso escolar.
December 5, 2010
a book about bullying...it teaches kids what to do when they or someone else is being bullied. it also talks about why a bully do what they do!
IF bullying is a big problem in the class or school, use this book to teach a lesson and different strategies to take!
IF bullying is a big problem in the class or school, use this book to teach a lesson and different strategies to take!
March 10, 2013
This book is a good book to read to students to learn more about bullying. Bullying is everywhere and it is important that your students learn what bullying is and how it hurts peoples feelings. This book does a good job talking about bullying and how bullies don't all look the same.
July 10, 2015
I encourage this book for early childhood readers and their parents. It also encourages children to stand up for themselves. This is a book about empowerment, and also gives them a positive outlook instead of have a bad experience. And essentially teaches them to stand up.
December 4, 2015
This is also a good book for children who are picking on other children. Because they can read this book and understand we should not be picking on others just because they are different from other people. A great book for all children to learn.
December 27, 2007
This was good in helping my daughter talk about some of her classmates who make poor choices.
September 9, 2009
Good info about how to handle a bully and how it feels to be bullied. There's a "How to Use This Book" page at the end that can help parents and teachers with solid advice on handling bullying.
September 3, 2011
talking about the reasons and solutions to teasing, and how a child feels that causes them to be picked on and how they should resonably handle the situation.
February 2, 2012
I like how this book talks about why a bully usually bullies. It also is very positive in solutions of what we can do to help stop them. Great message and advice for kids.
January 13, 2020
عنوان فارسی اذیتم نکن!
to-not-read
August 30, 2009Reviews on Amazon say it focuses on the bully's feelings instead of how kids can deal with bullies.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews