By Donald Then
NKy Tribune literary editor
Bullying is bad. Obesity is unhealthy.
Familiar story lines; however, they should be extremely important for anyone with children.
Dennis Charlton, a Crescent Springs senior business consultant, delivers his messages to children between the ages of 4 and 9 with two delightful books: TWIGS and the Bully (illustrated by Steve Fine) and a coloring book, Tyler and Friends Shape Up (illustrated by Gordon Cotton).
Now, right from the start, these are not novels, per se. However, they are topical ideas and good stories in novel formats, and they deserve attention. Charlton is a Northern Kentuckian doing a service to his community.
His stories present simple, yet significant, story lines, and they are beautifully packaged and illustrated.
One reading told me their impact is dramatic.
In summary, TWIGS and The Bully features Terrance, nicknamed Twigs by his tree-expert dad because of his slight and slender stature. Twigs and his friends are good kids doing all the right things. However, they are challenged daily by a bully, none other than Big Bobby Jones.
Big Bobby is a loner, who is always angry. He’s also a poor student. Big Bobby has self-esteem issues in a “big” way.
Sound familiar? If not, pause while drinking your coffee and consider this from the Committee for Children in Seattle, Washington.
“Bullying is unfair and one-sided, and may consist of hitting, teasing, taunting, spreading rumors and gossip, stealing or excluding someone from a group. It is carried out with the intent to harm someone. It is often a repeated activity, but may also occur as a one-time event. Bullying always involves a power imbalance. The person bullying has more power due to factors of age, size, strength, support of friends, or access to resources (such as toys and other belongings), and uses this power in a deliberately hurtful way.”
Bullying also includes use of social media and, frankly, is not limited to any age.
There’s an old adage that says when you confront a bully you poke him in the nose, figuratively speaking, and he or she will stand up and take notice. In TWIGS and the Bully, Charlton’s “poke” is an unexpected act of kindness which demonstrates a unique mindset. The book is listed as recommended reading on the international website www.bullying.org. A portion of the sales revenue from the book will go to the Family Nurturing Center in Northern Kentucky.
In his Tyler and Friends Shape Up, Charlton earns kudos for taking on childhood obesity, explaining it from a kindhearted child’s perspective. It is a book about a diverse group of young children who are concerned about the habits and health of their friend, Evan, who is challenged with obesity and self-image issues. The main characters Tyler, Miguel, Raj and Hana come to the aid of their overweight pal Evan, who’s experiencing a rough patch because of his size.
These four dear souls help transform Evan’s life through friendship and compassion. Their logic: they want Evan to be with them as they experience the fun of growing up, the joys of school and the pleasure of athletics.
How important is Charlton’s message? The Center for Disease Prevention and Control reports childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Also, the percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 18 percent in 2012. That’s about 4.5 million kids, considering the population in that age category is a bit less than 25 million.
The author has tapped into two pertinent issues and his means deserve applause. His illustrators did a fine job, too.
In each of his books, the author provides a section for kids and their parent-guardians to write about and discuss their personal issues regarding bullying and obesity. This interactive approach seems an ideal way for young children to begin to recognize and talk about unkind treatment or how they feel about themselves. One bit of criticism, websites or reference resources at the back of each book, for parents, teachers, and others, would have made these books a step or two better. Still, they are noteworthy.
Charlton’s books are available on popular book websites. Charlton has used a creative way to present topics that will help children who might be frightened and afraid. For further information, contact the author at dcharlton@fuse.net.
Donald Then, a novelist and experienced editor and journalist, is NKyTribune’s literary editor. He will review books written by local authors or those with a Northern Kentucky setting. Reach him at author@djamesthen.com Visit his website at www.djamesthen.com