Dr. Elana Ashley

Is your child a bully, a victim or a bystander?

Big Bully Holly Howler is a student who shoves kids to be first in the lunch line and snatches things from other students-all without the teacher’s knowledge. It seems there is nothing anyone can do to stop Holly-until Splunkey, a peace-loving detective, encourages Ellie and her best friend, Eli, to look at Holly in an entirely new way. In this delightful children’s tale, youngsters learn creative ways to cope with bullies.

“What an evocative, sensitive and creative story… This book is needed in every library, classroom and home… The author’s marvelous imagination and originality in illustrating and writing teach all of us the answer to the question-bully, victim or bystander?”

Ellie Elephant is upset with the behavior of a new student at her school – someone who is acting badly with her and with her friends. She cries out for help, and someone who had helped her once before appears on the scene – Splunkunio Splunkey!  Her newest friend asks her lots of questions so that he can provide Ellie with helpful answers.

Ellie explains that Holly Howler has been doing things like shoving her in the cafeteria so that Holly could become the first one in the lunch line; or grabbing the basketball from her and her friends when they are playing at recess and will NOT give it back; or taking the wagon of a friend and running out of the school with it and lots more… In short, Holly acts like a Bully!

To get more help, Ellie invites over her best friend – Eli Elephant – and they continue to learn more about the various problems Holly is creating for everyone.

With lots of information having been shared, Splunkey offers Ellie significant advice and then leaves as he has someone else to help.

With Splunkey’s advice and Ellie’s common sense, Ellie magically transforms the Bully Holly Howler into a Friend! Read the book to find out how Ellie accomplishes her goal.

Features of My Book that Can Persuade People to Read it:

• My book teaches the importance of high values and standards for developing effective communication skills and appropriate behavior when interacting with others – qualities such as  honesty, respect, dignity, kindness… as in the words of Splunkey: “To Make A Friend, You Need To Be A Friend!”
• The storybook characters are Animal Puppets. Puppets are a fabulous medium for conveying thoughts, feelings and ideas – they talk openly and honestly about what is in their minds, hearts and spirits!
• By using specifically Animal Puppets as the storybook characters, I am eliminating the issues of race, religion, nationality and ethnic background.
• The settings in Big Bully Holly Howler are real-life settings – in a school, in a home, in the out-of-doors. Puppets are living the lives of children and presenting real-life struggles of friendship and bullying in a real school setting. Children feel familiar and comfortable with real-life settings.
• This book also appears in the bilingual form combining English and Spanish. Individual children and their family members can learn individual words, phrases and sentences in Spanish or in English. For example, Parents who primarily speak Spanish, can learn ways to express themselves in English.

Using the English translation or the English-Spanish edition, a child can read the book alone, and also practice reading together with family members at home; with students at school, and with other children as a group activity after school. A dramatic group role play could even be used in a business office or  professional workshop (since we know full well that bullying is not confined to schools.!!).

• Ellie Elephant combines her own quick thinking and common sense with the smarts and advice of Splunkey to be the one to magically transform the bully into a friend — into her personal friend!! Ellie is a model for all students.
• To add to the uniqueness of the book, following the story, I have added a list of questions for parents and teachers to use when discussing the story with their children and students. In addition, I further include an original poem – “Why Are You A Bully?”  The questions and the poem are great kick-offs for discussion and roleplay for people of all ages.

¿Es su hijo un abusivo, víctima o espectador?

La gran abusiva Holly Howler es una estudiante nueva que empuja a los niños para ser la primera en la cola del almuerzo y arrebata cosas de otros estudiantes; todo, sin que la maestra se dé cuenta. Parece que nadie puede hacer nada para detener a Holly, hasta que Splunkey, un detective que busca la paz, anima a Ellie y a su mejor amigo, Ilay, a ver a Holly de una manera totalmente nueva. En este encantador relato infantil, los pequeños aprenden maneras creativas de lidiar con personas abusivas.

“Qué historia tan evocativa, sensible y original… Este libro se necesita en cada biblioteca, salón de clase y hogar… La maravillosa imaginación de la autora y su originalidad al ilustrar y escribir nos enseñan a todos la respuesta a la pregunta: ¿abusivo, víctima o espectador?”

Joan Franklin Smutny, Directora, The Center for Gifted-

Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity, Glenview, Illinois