Genre: Children
Click book cover for Amazon.com
Author Guarducci had a good idea when she decided to write Spiky with an important message for children of all ages, but the graphic descriptions of Spiky’s bad behavior was troubling to me. The animal was trained to be bad. “His father, Mr.Spikington, had sent him to the best school for badness in the whole world.” He used his spikes as protection, and he soon became a bully. Although a bit dark, I realized it was building to a moralistic point, but then it went a bit over the top for me to recommend it without a warning. Before he learns to be good, Spiky pulls wings off butterflies and captures robins and chickadees in glass jars. I worry that this is a bit much for young children to read or be read about.
Spiky does learn the pleasures of being kind when he loses his spikes and is accepted as a friend to other animals, and the illustrations were well done. Children do experience other children behaving badly at times, and this book could definitely be used as a discussion starter, but mom or dad needs to pre-read this story and make sure that they present it in a way that their child learns the correct lesson.
- Beverly
Publisher - Amazon Crossing Kids
Date of Publication - July 1, 2019
Spiky does learn the pleasures of being kind when he loses his spikes and is accepted as a friend to other animals, and the illustrations were well done. Children do experience other children behaving badly at times, and this book could definitely be used as a discussion starter, but mom or dad needs to pre-read this story and make sure that they present it in a way that their child learns the correct lesson.
- Beverly
Publisher - Amazon Crossing Kids
Date of Publication - July 1, 2019
