Product Description

Mean Jean was Recess Queenand nobody said any different.Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung.Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked.Nobody bounced until Mean Jean bounced.If kids ever crossed her, she'd push 'em and smoosh 'emlollapaloosh 'em, hammer 'em, slammer 'emkitz and kajammer 'em.Until a new kid came to school!With her irrepressible spirit, the new girl dethrones the reigning recess bully by becoming her friend in this infectious playground romp.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10013 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
Oh, would that all bullying problems could be solved so easily! Mean Jean is the reigning Recess Queen, pushing and smooshing, hammering and slammering the other kids whenever they cross her. And then one day a puny new girl shows up on the playground and catches Mean Jean completely off-guard. Not only is little Katie Sue not the least bit intimidated by the bully, she actually asks her to jump rope with her. In no time flat, Jean and Katie Sue are best buddies, and the playground is safe for all again.

Sure, it's simplistic, but there's a strong element of truth in this energetic rhyming story by Alexis O'Neill (Loud Emily). Bullies are people, too, and sometimes nothing is quite so effective as ingenuous disarmament. Big, bold, funny acrylic and collage illustrations by Laura Huliska-Beith (The Book of Bad Ideas) bounce right along with the text. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
A schoolyard bully is enlightened by the new kid in class in this lively story about the power of kindness and friendship. "Mean Jean was Recess Queen/ and nobody said any different," the tale begins. Each day at recess, Mean Jean blasts through the playground and her cowering classmates so that she can kick, swing and bounce before anyone else. No one dare cross her path: "She'd push 'em and smoosh 'em, lollapaloosh 'em." But when tiny Katie Sue, a new student, arrives, all bets are off. Unaware of the playground hierarchy, the new girl enthusiastically kicks, swings and bounces before the Recess Queen gets the chance. Her role usurped, Mean Jean moves toward a meltdown, until Katie Sue makes her an offer she finds difficult to refuse: an invitation to play together. O'Neill's (Loud Emily) text brims with fun-to-say phrases that fit a rollicking rhythm, and her assessment of recess dynamics feels authentic. Huliska-Beith's (The Book of Bad Ideas) memorable Jean busts out of the pages, all sneer, bluster and freckles. Swirling perspectives in the gouache-and-collage artwork provide a sense of movement and largesse. And humorous details, such as steam coming from Mean Jean's ears, or her bouncing another child like a ball, playfully convey the underlying drama of the situation. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3--Mean Jean is the recess queen. No one dares touch a ball, swing a bat, or slip down the slide until she says so. Until, that is, the day that Katie Sue shows up at school. Told in a rollicking rhyme, the story offers a lighthearted look at a serious topic in schools and on playgrounds everywhere-the bully. Katie Sue puts Mean Jean in her place in a surprisingly easy way-simply by being too new to know any better. In a nice twist, when confronted by Mean Jean, instead of backing away, the newcomer invites her to play. Thus she is transformed into a likable character at the end of the story, now surrounded by friends on the blacktop rather than foes. Both the text and the art are smart, sassy, and energetic. Rendered in collage and acrylics in vibrant shades of fuchsia, lime green, and azure blue, the illustrations showcase Mean Jean as an over-the-top cartoon character who is frenetic and effervescent. The text effectively dips, swirls, and slants around the action of the art, further marrying the two. This queen would make a perfect pair with another infamous female tyrant, the title character in Barbara Bottner's Bootsie Barker Bites (Putnam, 1992).
Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A Great Little Book On Bullying
Fabulous messages told in an original style children will love. Every parent needs to talk about this issue of bullying early to empower their children. I recommend Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullyingfor great ideas and tips on how to give your children those skills and develop a nature that will insure that they never becoming bullies. Other children's literature by these same teacher-authors that not only have similar inspiring messages but great teaching guides for parents: Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Successand The Big Squeal: A Wild, True, and Twisted Tail.

Adorable and A Great Message
Children need to be prepared to face bullies on the playground early on before school. Every Parent needs to read up on how to protect their child
from becoming a bully or victim. A great book on the topic is
Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullyingwhich I found to be generally one of the best parenting books on raising empowered kids.

Every mother of a child starting school for the first time needs this!
This book was recommended by a school counselor when my child was having problems adjusting to kindergarten. Going from a class of 12 in Pre-k to a class of 20 can be overwhelming. Today, kids have to deal with so much so soon and making friends can be a challenge. Feelings can be easily hurt and different personalities are eminent. This book teaches kids about how to act when someone is bossy or a bully. It also teaches them to stick up for themselves. Not only is it a great book to have, but it's a great teacher gift too!