Hurty Feelings
by Helen Lester
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Book Summary Information
Author: Helen LesterIllustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03-26
ISBN: 0618840621
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Sandpiper
Book Reviews of Hurty Feelings
Book Review: Teaches so many good lessons in a funny, way
Summary: 5 Stars
I love all of Helen Lester's books so had high expectations for this one and it certainly didn't disappoint. I'm a pre-k teacher and expected to use this to teach how words can hurt just as much as physically hurting someone. Believe it or not, bullying and teasing starts very, very early and it's something I wanted to squash early on in my class. It helped tremendously to get my little ones to understand that, but I loved that the book allowed me to lead into several other lessons as well.
-Bullying: Fragility the hippo takes everyone's compliments as insults, until she meets Rudy the elephant who really is very rude and insulting. Rudy knows how fragile Fragility is and uses it to hurt her feelings just because he feels like it. Good for discussing what bullying is and why someone might bully another person
-Whining: As anyone who has or has had a preschooler knows, they're just starting to learn how effective whining can be at getting their way or getting attention. Just before Rudy the bully shows up, Fragility is incredibly lonely because nobody wants to upset her and they're exhausted by her meltdowns. My kids LOOOVED the repetition (and exaggerated voice it lends well to) of "You hurt my feeeeeelings!" and helped them see how silly the whining is as opposed to just talking, just as Fragility learned at the end of the story.
-Two wrongs don't make a right: After several insults from Rudy, Fragility finally manages to throw his insults back at him. Far from helping the situation, this instead leads to two very sad, very hurt individuals. Helpful for teaching standing up for one's self instead of stooping down to a bully's level and making positive choices, even when someone else isn't being nice to you.
-Forgiveness and making mistakes: When Fragility sees how hurt Rudy is when she teases him back, she understands that all Rudy really needs is a friend. She "mommies" him, wiping away his tears and hugging him until he feels better. Long before reading this book, I'd used this technique in my class (the "hurter" taking care of the "hurtee" so he or she can see the effects of his or her actions) with great success. It really struck a cord with my students and helped them understand that even if you make a bad choice, you can still fix it.
On top of all this, much like Lester's other books, Hurty Feelings is just plain funny, well written, and fun to read, from the character's names to Fragility's dramatic outbursts to the hilarious accompanying illustrations. Like I said, it lends well to silly and exaggerated voices, which only adds to the great story. Other favorites of mine include Hooway for Wodney Wat and A Porcupine Named Fluffy.
Summary of Hurty Feelings
Fragility was a solid piece of work. But despite her sturdy exterior, Fragility was fragile. Anything and everything hurt her feelings. In the most benign compliment, Fragility heard an insult. No one could even say she looked nice without evoking images of big, squishy cupcakes—since they are also nice—and causing Fragility to flop on the ground and weep. Fragility?s friends stop speaking to her for fear of another fit, but Rudy, a very rude bully, has other ideas. In the face of real insults, will Fragility finally learn to take a compliment?
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