Product Description

Pinky's favorite color is pink, and his best friend, Rex, is a girl. Kevin, the third-grade bully, says that makes Pinky a sissy. Deep down, Pinky thinks Kevin is wrong, but he's still worried. Does Pinky have to give up his favorite things, and worse, does he have to give up his best friend?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21633 in Books
• Published on: 1996-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?Pinky is forced into an identity crisis when his nickname and favorite color is deemed girlish by a bully. He wonders if, now that he's seven, it's time to change. An elderly neighbor suggests that he remain true to himself and question the "rules of behavior" instead. With his pal Rex (a girl) at his side, Pinky verbally confronts his tormentor. The older boy's aggressive bluster crumbles in the face of Pinky's new confidence. As in the previous books in the series, Howe affirms that boys (and girls) can be whatever they want to be. He fashions engaging characters who respond to their situations in a realistic, childlike fashion. Sweet's watercolor illustrations complement the gentle tale. Pair this title with Dan Millman's Secret of the Peaceful Warrior (H.J. Kramer, 1991), and you'll have ample food for a lively discussion on how children can respect one another and resolve their differences in a nonviolent manner.?Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2^-4. When a bully calls him a sissy because he likes pink and plays with girls, Pinky has second thoughts about who he is and how he fits in. Mrs. Morgan, a neighbor who takes a friendly interest in the boy, listens as he struggles to find the answers, but she warns that if he changes to suit other people, he may give up too much of himself. In discussing bullies and insecurity, Howe takes on two conflicts familiar to children and handles them with a sure touch. The resolution may come a little too quickly, but Pinky's pain seems real. Melissa Sweet's ink-and-watercolor illustrations appear throughout the seven short chapters, giving the book a most appealing look. This raises issues significant to grade-school children, making it a good book for discussion at home or in the classroom. The last title in the popular series is Pinky and Rex and the Double-Dad Weekend (1995). Carolyn Phelan

From Kirkus Reviews
This anachronistic entry about a popular duo in the Ready-to- Read series addresses gender issues for newly independent readers. Second-grader Pinky is bullied by third-grader Kevin for his friendship with a girl, best buddy Rex, and for his love of the color pink. Kevin warns Anthony not to play with Pinky, or ``You might turn into a girl, too!'' Pinky, whose real name is William, is upset enough that he asks to be called Billy and decides to end his friendship with Rex, too. An elderly neighbor, Mrs. Morgan, tells him her own childhood tale of lost identity, and Pinky finds the courage to stare Kevin down. Howe (Pinky and Rex and the New Baby, 1993, etc.) sends a positive message to children to be themselves, an idea sensitively illustrated by Sweet. But Mrs. Morgan's monologues are laced with preachiness and compassion that seem more convenient than real. Meanwhile, Rex is only a marginal figure, barely sketched into the tale; all her behavior is described rather than shown. (Fiction. 6- 8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

4 1/2* Excellent Book for Elementary School Kids
Billy was nicknamed "Pinky" because of his love for the color; even his stuffed animals have a bit of pink somewhere on them. He's got no problem with the name until a school bully begins taunting him, calling him a girl (generally not received well by seven-year-old boys), and generally intimidating him.

Pinky, wondering if he's too old for such a nickname, decides to change his name back to Billy, and give his beloved animals to his sister. Fortunately, an older neighborhood woman teaches him to accept himself as he is:

"It's hard to be different, isn't it, Billy? ....But, believe me, it's worse not to be yourself. Don't change for other people, Billy. Other people will come and go in your life. Do what's right for the one person who will always be with you--yourself."

Her advise, and some newfound assertion by Billy/Pinky helps him out: "Pinky walked straight up to Kevin and poked him in the chest . . . 'I'm not a sissy and I'm not a girl. And if you think so, it just shows how dumb you are.'" OK, so Pinky gets slightly physical, but, overall, this is a fine book for the bullied--and those who bully them. Forty pages long, with lovely soft color illustrations, a non preachy tone, and a nice inter-generational angle. This book really seems to know the seven- year-old's mind.