Don't Laugh at Me [With CD]

I love the book and was looking to replace my copy that was ruined in my classroom. Unfortunately, the CD was missing in the back cover.

I recently bought this book for my three grandchildren. It was an instant hit as it taught them about the pain caused by laughing at people. It is a must read for children as well as adults. We all forget how hard it is to be the square peg in the round hole and little reminders like this book keep us compassionate, tolerant, and kinder. The CD that came with the book was an added surprise that I found to be heartwarming.I highly recommend this book, especially when used in a classroom.

I used the accompanying CD to read-aloud the book and my first grade students were immediately drawn in and enthralled with both the book and the music. The least sensitive child in my class who is the first to call other students names was listening with a peaceful and loving expression of compassion and serenity on his face. Listening to the song launched some wonderful discussions when I asked students to recall and share about their feelings when someone called them names, and then to recall and share about their feelings when they called someone else names. I was overwhelmed when one of my students realized and shared that the reason that she called people names was because she was angry with them. We were able to use this as a springboard for conflict resolution and ways to share our feelings without hurting someone else's.

I first heard the song "Don't laugh at me" through Challenge Day, and the impact of the song on the young people present was huge. I was delighted to find that there was a book version of this uplifting message. The fact that the lyric-writer uses words that stereotype in his message is not an indictment of those who may [or may not] fit that category - it's an indictment of those who name-call and stereotype. My 5 year old understands the deeper meaning of the song/book in a way that, sadly, many adults fail to. If we listen to our children, they will tell us what we need to know, that teasing and name calling is wrong and they are counting on us to intervene. That's the true intention of this darling book. As a "secular" parent, I am not at all turned off by the suggestion that "in God's eyes we're all the same/someday we'll all have perfect wings." It can simply be an analogy that each of us perfect in the eyes of any loving parent or friend.

This is one fun book and should be of a little help to kids that feel alienated. And, who hasn't felt that way at least once in their lives?The illustrations liven up each page and keep you interested all the way through the book.Very pleasurable!

I found this book by accident and am very happy I did. My 10 year old daughter read this and loved it. I have since shared it with many friends and professionals. There are so many other books about bullying and teasing available, but this one is so beautiful in its' simplicity. The message is loud and clear. This should be a mainstay in every school library.