 Monday kicked off a big week with people from all over the Nation coming together to observe Random Acts of Kindness Week and Engineers Week. For the next 7 days, people will be leaving kind notes for one another, practicing their coding, paying for the person behind them in line, and building Rube Goldberg devices in celebration. With one of our own authors, L.A. Kefalos, being both a full time engineer and writer of 2 picture books that champion kindness, we wanted to join in on the fun and bring you a new picture book extension craft that builds kindness while sparking interest in the S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) fields. The inspiration for this activity comes from the blog, Engineering Emily, which is run by Emily, an engineer/stay-at-home-mom/blogger. Her site is chock-full of fun S.T.E.A.M. activities for children, life insights, and interviews with inspiring women engineers (including L.A. Kefalos!). Head over to her blog to view her original craft, which she used to celebrate Valentine’s Day! This twist on Emily’s activity extends the lessons found in L.A.’s picture books. As children mix ingredients and observe the chemical reactions, they will learn that there is often more to someone than meets the eye and, with kindness and empathy, we can melt away a hard exterior to reveal (and help!) the true person underneath. Read the instructions below to make your own Melting A. Blob craft!
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*Note* These take about 8 hours to fully dry. If you plan to have your students make their own blobs, allow 2 days to complete the activity. If you plan to pre-make the blobs, do so the night before.
Please also note that the food coloring WILL slightly stain your hands when you form the blobs. If this is a problem, we suggest grabbing some plastic gloves and your hands will be stain free!
Please also note that the food coloring WILL slightly stain your hands when you form the blobs. If this is a problem, we suggest grabbing some plastic gloves and your hands will be stain free!
The Lesson
| Begin by reading This is A. Blob, by L.A. Kefalos. Before starting, ask the students to make predictions about A. Blob. What do they think A. Blob will be like? Why? Ask this same question halfway through the story. |  |
After reading the book, ask the students what they learned about A. Blob. Were their assumptions correct? Explain that we can’t see inside people. We never know exactly what they are going through or experiencing. Go over some of the reasons why people bully others:
While these issues don’t make it ok to bully others, understanding them can help us find positive solutions to the bullying. For example, if A. Blob hurts others because it is afraid it will be rejected for looking different, being mean and hurtful in return will only make the situation worse.
- They want to feel powerful
- Fear of rejection
- They have been bullied themselves
While these issues don’t make it ok to bully others, understanding them can help us find positive solutions to the bullying. For example, if A. Blob hurts others because it is afraid it will be rejected for looking different, being mean and hurtful in return will only make the situation worse.
 A. Blob takes a swing at children on the playground in "This is A. Blob". |  A. Blob finds itself alone in "This is A. Blob" |
After this talk, pull out A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos and have students make new predictions:
- How will A. Blob will behave on a bus?
- Will its loneliness cause it to change its behaviors?
Refer back to the first book when we were able to see what A. Blob was like in public and in private. How does it help to learn why someone behaves the way they do? What benefits come from viewing life through someone else's eyes? What happens in the story when the children choose to do this? Point out that it wasn’t until the other students stood up to A. Blob and ALSO exhibited empathy and kindness that A. Blob’s slimy exterior began to “melt”.
 The children face off with A. Blob in "A. Blob on a Bus". |  Something strange is happening to A. Blob in "A. Blob on a Bus"! |
Ask the students to describe how they feel when someone is mean to them. Do they get tense? Maybe shaky? Do their thoughts begin to run around and make it hard to focus? Next, ask the students to remember something kind someone said or did for them. Choose one or two students to share their stories.
How did those kind words or actions make your students feel? Often, the answer is easy to see as a smile blooms across the students’ faces as they recall the memory. Just like A. Blob “melts” in the story after the students try to look through A. Blob’s eyes, we tend to soften and relax when someone is kind to us. That is the power of kindness!
Challenge students to search for what is underneath the exterior of their classmates. Encourage them to be friendly and kind and get to know one another. Soon, the kindness will melt hard exteriors and bring out the best in everyone!
The Activity
Explain to students that they will be doing an activity to help them better understand the lessons they just discussed.
Bring out your bowls of vinegar (placed on your tray) and your baking soda blobs. Explain that the blobs of baking soda represent A. Blob. The exterior is hard to represent A.Blob’s hard attitudes and mean behavior. The vinegar represents empathy and kindness.
Choose one student to place A. Blob in a bowl of kindness (vinegar). After the blob stops fizzing, ask students to see what was buried inside the blob.
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There are many options for what to hide inside A. Blob. In this activity, we decided to hide personality traits that can be brought out with kindness, such as friendliness or humor, along with some issues that sometimes contribute to a person acting like a bully, such as a difficult home life or abuse. Our goal is help children understand that we never know what someone is dealing with and that kindness can help us understand why someone behaves the way they do and even melt away a hard exterior to reveal a friend.
If there is time, give each student their own A. Blob, plate, and cup of vinegar. After revealing the message inside, have them write a reflection on what the message says and why it is important.
Extensions
An alternative way to utilize this activity is to let the students predict what they think is under the goo at the end of A. Blob on a Bus and hide their predictions inside their own blobs. Have students write a short explanation of their predictions. Let blobs dry overnight. The next day, drop them in vinegar and have a few students share why they wrote their prediction.
Another way to extend the learning is to make bath bombs instead of baking soda/vinegar balls. Hide a kind message or a cute trinket inside and give the bath bombs away as a random act of kindness!
The Science
Finally, here is the science behind the fizzy blobs. The bubbles and fizz are actually the result of a chemical reaction called an acid-base reaction, the baking soda being the base and the vinegar being the acid. When the two ingredients are mixed, hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. This forms sodium acetate, which is a salt, along with carbonic acid. This acid quickly decomposes into water and carbon dioxide, a gas. This gas rises to the top of the mixture, causing the fizzy bubbles kids just love!
The chemical reaction that occurs is written as:
(sodium bicarbonate/baking soda) NaHCO3(s) + ( dilute acetic acid/vinegar) CH3COOH(l) -> (Sodium acetate) CH3COONa(aq) + (water) H2O(l) + (carbon dioxide) CO2(g)
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We hope you enjoy this extension craft and that it inspires kindness and a deeper interest in the S.T.E.A.M. fields. Let us know in the comments how you are celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week and Engineers Week!
If you enjoyed this craft, check out these other book extension crafts!
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 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
 | Before it was on a bus, A. Blob was on the playground. This first installment of The Blob Series follows the antics of A. Blob, as it wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help. |
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If you look up “the steps of problem solving” on Google, nearly every expert will tell you that the first step is to ‘define the problem’. While this may seem almost insultingly obvious, it's a step that is easily and often skipped.
As an example, let’s say your coworker arrives late every single day. What is the problem? The most basic answer? She’s late, of course! Lateness is the problem. Or is it?
What if, instead, lateness is actually a symptom of the true problem?
As an example, let’s say your coworker arrives late every single day. What is the problem? The most basic answer? She’s late, of course! Lateness is the problem. Or is it?
What if, instead, lateness is actually a symptom of the true problem?
When rephrased this way, the issue--and the resulting solution--becomes far more complex. If the true problem is traffic, solutions could include going to bed earlier to make it easier to wake up earlier and beat traffic, or finding an alternate route to work. If, however, the true problem is that your coworker is dealing with a negative family situation that keeps her up late, disrupts the sleep, and delays her each morning, finding a backroads route to work will do little to solve her problem.
Defining the problem--the true problem--is the first step to good problem solving. This is just one of several reasons that schools, parents, students, and educators struggle with defeating bullying. Like the situation with your coworker, the question 'what is bullying?' is deceptively complex. Conflicts and teasing get mislabeled as bullying and true bullying is too often mislabeled as teasing or a conflict. Until the problem of bullying is well defined, students will continue to struggle to enact solutions.
To help you and your students tackle step 1 of solving the problem of bullying, we’ve put together this fun cut-and-sort printable activity. Keep scrolling to grab your free, downloadable copy.
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Below is the definition of what bullying is, along with the definitions of 3 situations that are often mislabeled as bullying.
After discussing these 4 situations with your students, work together to decide if the scenarios described on the 'Is it Bullying?' worksheet are bullying, mean, teasing, or conflict, or use the worksheet as independent practice to assess student understanding. This worksheet can also easily be pasted into a notebook for easy reference.
Get Your Free Template!
If you’re looking for picture books to help introduce the concept of bullying, check out the titles below:
 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
 | Before it was on a bus, A. Blob was on the playground. This first installment of The Blob Series follows the antics of A. Blob, as it wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help. |
Be an Upstander...It’s a phrase we give to students and encourage regularly--and for good reason. Studies show that 57% of the time, bullying stops within 10 seconds of peer intervention. Students standing up for other students has proven more effective than any other kind of intervention.
However, for a young child, standing up to a bully is anything but easy. In the heat of the moment, things like fear, uncertainty, shyness, and self-consciousness can quickly take over and render the bystander motionless.
Every child is different, which means some upstander strategies may work for one student and not the other. Children are not one-size-fits-all, so why should the strategies we teach them be any different?
In today’s post, we will be sharing instructions for how to put together a personalized Upstander Strategy Handbook with your students so that when they are faced with bullying, they know exactly what to do!
Scroll to the to download the FREE TEMPLATE!
Scroll to the to download the FREE TEMPLATE!
Section 1: Definitions
The first section of the upstander handbook is a quick reference guide for students to help them remember the differences between bullying, joking, mean, and rude behavior so that they know when it is necessary to step in or find help.
This section also highlights the 4 roles in a bullying scenario-- the target, the person who bullies, the bystander, and the upstander--and lists some of the effects each of the behaviors can have on an individual.
Section 2: Upstander Strategies
This is the section of the book where students can really personalize the resource to meet their needs. The first page includes a basic list of upstander strategies that students can flip to for a quick reference. In the following pages, students have the opportunity to list their own personal reasons for being reluctant to intervene in a bullying scenario. As a class, choose a few of the most common reasons for being a bystander and talk through some ways to overcome students' fears.
In the third part of this section, students identify places where they have seen bullying occur. There is space to draw the scenario along with space to write a description of what is happening. Students should choose an upstander strategy that they think would be appropriate for the scenario described above. If they have any concerns about what might happen if they intervene, they should list those in the space provided.
The next page leaves space for students to draw a new scenario--one where they are an upstander! What do they predict will happen if they try the upstander strategy? How will things change for the better? If they are concerned something might go wrong, how can they prepare?
Space for 3 scenarios is included in the template provided, but students can create as many pages as they desire.
Now, each of your students has a book filled with upstander strategies made just for him or her! The books are small so that they can easily fit into a folder or backpack and be readily accessible if needed.
Would you try this in your classroom? Let us know in the comments!
Like this craft? Check out some of our other bullying prevention activities!
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 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
 | Before it was on a bus, A. Blob was on the playground. This first installment of The Blob Series follows the antics of A. Blob, as it wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help. |
It’s October, which means it’s also National Bullying Prevention Month! This month, we join with communities all over the country to raise awareness about bullying and equip schools and families with the tools to prevent it. Today, 1 in 5 children between the ages of 12 and 18 experience bullying. Sadly, the effects of such treatment can last a lifetime.
In 2006, PACER’S National Bullying Prevention Center founded National Bullying Prevention Month, initially as a one day event, to bring awareness to this national epidemic and begin working towards a solution. The event took off and became so popular that in 2010, PACER expanded it to encompass an entire month of activities. Today, thousands around the nation rally together each October to continue the crusade for kindness.
Books can be powerful tools to help us see life from the perspective of others, begin conversations, and broach serious topics in an approachable manner. This month, we hope to help you harness the tool of literature by sharing a few of our favorite book-based crafts and activities that broach the topic of bullying. We’ll also include a few ideas for ways to integrate bullying prevention into what you are already doing each day.
Image via PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center Facebook
Today, we tackle the issue of bystanding--what should you do when you see bullying occurring. Or, a better question, what can you do? Standing up for what is right is rarely easy. This fun and simple craft helps children confront and discuss their concerns about standing against bullying and empowers them with tactics they feel comfortable with.
This craft is paired with the picture book, A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos, but could easily be used with other books on bullying.
I CAN BE AN UPSTANDER
Children learn positive ways to be upstanders
| You will need: A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos ‘I Can’ template Colored pencils Pencil, pen, markers, or other writing utensils |  |
Lesson
Step 1: Read A. Blob on a Bus out loud
Step 2: Begin a discussion on the importance of treating one another with respect and standing up for others.
Why do you think it took so long for anyone to stand up to A.Blob? What do you think would have happened if no one had said anything to A.Blob? What are some helpful ways to stand up to bullying? What are some unhelpful ways to stand up to bullying?
Step 3: Sometimes people don’t intervene when they see someone else being hurt because they don’t know what to say or do.. Today we are going to talk about some positive and helpful ways we can stand up to bullying, encourage others, and make our community a safe, welcoming place.
Begin by asking the students to offer suggestions of ways to stand up to bullying. Some ideas include:
- Tell a teacher or trusted adult if you see someone being bullied or if you are being bullied
- Befriend anyone who is being targeted by a bully. Walk with them, invite them to play with you at recess, ask them how they are doing.
- Include those who are being left out
- Eat lunch with someone new
- Refuse to spread rumors
- Don’t laugh or join in when you see someone being bullied. Let those who are bullying know you don’t think their actions are funny.
- If you or someone around you is being bullied, tell them to stop in a calm, clear voice. If they refuse, walk away. Find an adult if necessary.
- Be careful about what you post online.
- Treat others the way you want to be treated--including online!
Expand the list to acts of kindness that students can do to make their community a better place:
- Give someone a compliment
- Write a thank you note to your school custodian or other person serving the school
- Hold the door open for someone
- Leave a nice note for someone to find
| Step 4: Once you have compiled your list, have students draw a picture of themselves being upstanders or being kind to others on the ‘I Can’ template. Around the portrait, have students write “I can…” statements that communicate ways they can make their community a better and safer place. Use the lists you made as a class to guide the I can statements. |  |
Step 5: Hang the pictures up around the classroom as a reminder that the students CAN impact their communities for the better!
Will you be participating in Bullying Prevention Month? If so, share how in the comments!
If you liked this craft, check out these activities, designed to help children be upstanders!
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 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
 | Before it was on a bus, A. Blob was on the playground. This first installment of The Blob Series follows the antics of A. Blob, as it wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help. |
Making an impact. It’s something we all strive towards, especially when talking about bullying. Research states that 1 in 5 children experience bullying and making an impact on this statistic is something towards which teachers, parents, and leaders have been working for many years. Along with equipping students with tools to deal with conflict and emotion from a young age so that they do not become bullies, educators have striven to also provide tools to those adjacent to the bullying--the bystanders.
While studies show that 20% of children are bullied, it also reveals that nearly 71% of children witness bullying. The encouraging news is that 57% of the time, that bullying ends within 10 seconds of peer intervention. This means that a large population exists which can be leveraged as a force for good.
But what happens when standing up to bullying (often referred to as being an upstander) goes wrong? Like fighting fire with fire, things can quickly go from bad to worse. While standing up to bullies is vital, doing so through the use of violence, mocking, or returning the bullying will only cause more trouble. So, as we teach children to be upstanders, it is just as important to teach them how to be upstanders.
In the picture book A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos, we once again meet A. Blob, the purple bully introduced in the 3-book series inaugural book, This is A. Blob. In this new tale, A. Blob is back to its bullying ways and, for a while, it seems like the children will never be able to ride the school bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl decides to take a stand. A. Blob on a Bus introduces the idea of being an upstander to young readers and opens the door for conversations on what to do when they see bullying occur. The companion craft below is designed to help leaders begin discussions about why it is important to stand up to bullying along with how to do this in a positive way.
The kids will love making their own "A. Blobs" and you will love the learning happening along the way!
The kids will love making their own "A. Blobs" and you will love the learning happening along the way!
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MAKING AN IMPACT
A companion craft for A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos
| You will need: cornstarch, water, mixing bowl, spatula or other stirring device, measuring cups, funnel, purple balloons, scissors, black permanent marker Basic Ratio 1 part water 2 parts cornstarch *1 cup water to 2 cups cornstarch will make 2 balloon balls Craft Instructions:·
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The Lesson:
Step 1: Read A. Blob on Bus out loud
Step 2: Open a discussion about the story. How did A. Blob’s presence change the environment of the bus? If no one liked the way A. Blob was behaving, why did it take so long for anyone to stand up to it? What are some helpful ways to stand up to others? What are some not-so-helpful ways?
Step 3: Craft time! As you make the craft, continue the discussion on being an upstander.
Step 2: Open a discussion about the story. How did A. Blob’s presence change the environment of the bus? If no one liked the way A. Blob was behaving, why did it take so long for anyone to stand up to it? What are some helpful ways to stand up to others? What are some not-so-helpful ways?
Step 3: Craft time! As you make the craft, continue the discussion on being an upstander.
Begin mixing your ingredients. As you mix, talk about some of the “ingredients” that create a bully. Why do some people bully others? Talk about what it means to have empathy and why it’s important to put ourselves in the shoes of others. Even though some people bully others because they have been bullied or hurt themselves, does that make their behavior ok?
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The school bus before and after A. Blob's arrival. Which bus would you rather be on?
-Images from A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos, illustrated by Jeffrey Burns
-Images from A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos, illustrated by Jeffrey Burns
Using examples from the book, remind children that the way we treat one another has an impact on them and the situation. We have the power to change and so it is important to stand up against bullying, even when we aren’t the ones being bullied. We must be upstanders, not bystanders!
However, there are helpful ways to be upstanders, and not-so-helpful ways. When we react to bullying with more bullying, the problem only becomes worse. Show the students how when we hit the mixture, it becomes hard and resistant. However, when we treat it gently, it is soft and pliable. Discuss positive ways to stand up against bullying.
 | Using the funnel, fill up the balloons with the cornstarch mixture. As the kids play with their “A.Blob” balls, tell your students to remember that the way they treat one another has an impact. They have the power to affect change! The “blob” also acts as a great stress ball! |
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If you use this craft in your classroom or home, we’d love to see! Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and use the hashtag #ABlobCraft.
 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
Welcome to day 2 of the A. Blob on a Tour blog tour, celebrating the release of A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos! Today the bus stops at the Mom Read It blog! In addition to being a mom and blogger, Rosemary is also a children's librarian who shares her thoughts on a wide range of kid lit, covering everything from YA to picture books.
Rosemary also loves comics and writes about comic books, pop culture, and books for adults on her second blog On Wednesdays, We Wear Capes. Keep up with her on her blogs or over on Twitter at @roesolo.
A big THANK YOU to Rosemary for joining the tour and helping us to share the message of A. Blob on a Bus! To read Rosemary's blog tour blog, head over to Mom Read It!
Rosemary also loves comics and writes about comic books, pop culture, and books for adults on her second blog On Wednesdays, We Wear Capes. Keep up with her on her blogs or over on Twitter at @roesolo.
A big THANK YOU to Rosemary for joining the tour and helping us to share the message of A. Blob on a Bus! To read Rosemary's blog tour blog, head over to Mom Read It!
Don't miss the bus! The A. Blob on a Bus Blog Tour continues Friday on the Library Lady's Kid Lit Blog! Head over there to check it out, or check in here where we will be posting links to all the stops along the tour!
 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
My Book – A. Blob on a Bus
by L.A. Kefalos
 | Why a Bus?During the last year, you don’t know how many times I have been asked the question, “Why a bus?” The first time was a cold afternoon in January, when my friend Mark and I were boarding one in upper Manhattan to head downtown, and he complained, “Why a bus? Can’t we take a cab?” The second time happened this past spring when I went back home to Ohio and brought my nieces and nephews New York City school bus keychains as souvenirs. |
They were adorable. They were die cast metal, shaped as yellow school buses, with tiny rubber tires and “New York City Schools” inscribed in black bold letters across the side. When I handed the souvenir to my niece, my sister wondered out loud, “Why a bus?” OK, so there have only been two times I have been asked that question, and, to answer my sister--just in case she is reading this--because EVERYONE gets a Statue of Liberty or an I Heart NY keychain. Plus, these buses were so darn cute. I really should have bought a key chain for myself. I think I will go back and get one.
Not only is New York City my favorite city in the world, and that shade of yellow my favorite color (well, for coffee mugs and number two pencils) but my second book, A. Blob on a Bus, just happens to take place in a bus. You might be thinking, “Why a bus?” to yourself. Let’s just say you are. Well, there is a reason behind it.
| I was headed north up Hudson Drive when I spotted the giant yellow buggy in front of me. I groaned at the sight of it because no one wants a school bus in front of them when time is of the essence. I was headed to the gym before work, so all I saw in front of me was a flabby stomach and flabby thighs on wheels. Certainly this bus was going to, at some point, lower its mighty arm, signaling, “Stop, you impatient woman, you won’t have time for sit ups today.” |  |
And as sure as the day is long, it happened: first the brake lights appeared, followed by the slow, painstaking lowering of the blinking, red eight-sided sign emblazoned with white letters: “TOO BAD,” ordering me to stop and wait for a child to appear from the house and board the bus.
As, I settled into my seat, drinking my morning coffee, to wait for the emergence of Johnny-Come- Lately, I noticed HER, peering out the back window of the bus. She was looking directly at me. She appeared to be around ten or eleven years old. She was expressionless--no smile, no frown, just an empty stare. Maybe the expression was one of angst because it was the first day of school and, perhaps she had butterflies in her stomach. You know those pesky insects that show up to remind you that your future is uncertain. For some reason, I still get them at the mere mention of the words, “first day of school.”
However, the little girl’s clothing--in contrast to her expression--was rather imaginative. She had a bright, royal blue blouse on underneath a cream-colored vest that appeared to have some shiny metallic strips woven into the fabric. Thin blue and silver streamers dangled against her long brown hair. I thought the glitzy outfit was her attempt to be accepted by the rest of the herd. But then I noticed that she was standing all alone in the back while the rest of the pack were seated, paired up according to type inside the giant yellow ark. The outfit obviously wasn’t an attempt to blend in as the others were moderately dressed. She clearly stood out from the rest. “Why is she staring at me?” I thought, as I averted her gaze and looked down, pretending to have difficulty placing my coffee cup back in the holder. I admired my nails as I placed the coffee in the cupholder. I had just had them painted a sapphire blue with gel nail polish. The gel caused the nails to shine much more than the regular polish I normally wore. I marveled at the color of blue, realizing that it matched the stapler that I had sitting on my desk back at the office. The office that I was going to be late arriving to because I was still waiting on a child to board the bus.
A. Blob wreaks havoc on the playground in L.A. Kefalos's first picture book, This is A. Blob. When I looked up to see if there was any sign of life from the house, I saw that she was still staring out of the back window at me. A bevy of questions flooded my mind: Why is she still looking at me? Why is she standing? Isn’t that dangerous? Doesn’t this bus have seat belts? Why aren’t all school buses required to have seat belts? Why isn’t Noah paying attention to his passengers? Isn’t he concerned with their safety? Why isn’t she smiling? Is she being bullied? I had already written my first picture book, This is A. Blob, about a bully who wreaks havoc on a playground tormenting other kids. In my research for the book, I had read that a school bus was a hot spot for bullying. Besides the fact that the bully pretty much had a captive audience, there is very little adult supervision. Bullies tend to target their victims any place where adult supervision is low. Yes, there was the school bus driver, Noah, but there can be as many 70 kids on one bus for him to supervise and his focus obviously is on safe driving.
I felt a little helpless sitting there. I really couldn’t surmise anything from the situation. I knew it was up to the adults in the child’s life to notice the signs of bullying. The mood changes, the minor health complaints, the changes in their grades and sleeping habits. All I could do was sit and wonder about the one who wandered away from the herd and was standing there gazing intently at me.
I don’t know why I did it. It may have been the fact that she was standing alone, looking like an outcast, in need of provision, or maybe it was the blue streamer gesturing me to show kinship. Whatever the case, I decided to flash my freshly painted nails at her, one hand, five fingers, palm-side away from her, in some tribal “I feelyasister” greeting. I don’t know what I expected to happen. Maybe she would give me a sign of the duress she was in. Most likely, I was being selfish and was hoping it would cause her to look away and end the awkwardness I was feeling being under the microscope. But she did something totally unexpected: instead of looking away, she returned the greeting in “I’ll see you and raise you” fashion and flashed back five nails decked out in blue and white zig-zags matching her vest and streamers. Clearly her nails were far more stunning than mine. The gesture caused me to spit out my coffee and laugh out loud. Her expression-less face broke out in a huge smile as well.
In the meantime, I hadn’t noticed the brake lights on the bus were gone, as well as the flashing red stop sign. The bus began to move and make its way toward the unknown future. The girl with the streamers had sat back down in her seat when the bus continued its journey. I followed behind it for a way before I had to make a left-hand turn. When I put on my signal to turn--to my astonishment--the little girl’s head popped her head up over the backseat, smiled, and flashed me the five-fingered backward hand wave, good-bye. I returned the smile and the wave, and she sat back down in her seat.
I drove to the gym at a leisurely pace. I was no longer hurried or concerned about getting my full work out in. Instead, I was thrilled that I had the idea for the next book in the A. Blob series. My only worry –would having a tiny pink butterfly flying out the back window of the bus at the end of the story be too much?
Don't miss the bus! The A. Blob on a Bus Blog Tour continues tomorrow over at the Mom Read It blog! Head over there to check it out, or check in here where we will be posting links to all the stops along the tour!
 | A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
Can one act of bravery change everything--including A.Blob?
It's official: A. Blob on a Bus, by L.A. Kefalos is now available for purchase! We are so pleased to bring this new resource to teachers, parents, and leaders who are looking to start conversations about bullying, empathy, and kindness.
With its beautiful illustrations and rhymed verse, A.Blob on a Bus explores the issue of bullying from the perspective of the bystander, asking young readers "What would you do?" and empowering them to help make their community a better place.
| Here are just a few of the things we LOVE about A. Blob on a Bus:
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Although studies reveal that 1 in 4 children faces bullying, research also shows that early interventions, such as reading topical books and holding discussions can help change that statistic for the better. Through her writing, L.A. Kefalos hopes to be a part of that solution. “We are all in this together”, Kefalos shared, “children, parents, teachers--the whole community. My book can't end bullying alone. It is just one line in an enormous conversation. But it can start the discussion.”
A. Blob on a Bus is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. With each purchase, you also receive a FREE download of the accompanying material discussion guide with lesson plans, craft, and discussion questions to guide conversations and help young readers learn to be upstanders.
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 | Before A. Blob was on a bus, it was wreaking havoc on the playground! In This is A.Blob, by L.A. Kefalos, the first installment of The Blob Series, we meet the purple, blob-like creature as it wreaks havoc with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that there may be more to A.Blob than meets the eye. This story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to think about why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help. |
It’s easy to label people; He’s a nerd, she’s smart, he’s dumb, he’s nice, she’s a bully, etc. Labeling helps us simplify an often complex world and creates a sense of safety and belonging for those who can’t find it anywhere else. Unfortunately, far from solving the problem, such behavior often makes it much worse. When we label others and try to put them into boxes, we lose so much of what makes them, them. We miss out. And we send the message that they will never be anything else, for better or worse.
The LessonDesigned to accompany the picture book, This is A. Blob, by L.A. Kefalos, today’s activity helps illustrate the lesson that there is more inside all of us than initially meets the eye. In This is A. Blob, we meet A. Blob, a purple, blob-like creature that bullies other children on the playground. As the story progresses, we learn there may be more to this character than meets the eye. |  |
Begin the activity by reading through This is A. Blob. Talk about what can be learned about the main character through the story. Were there any surprises? How would it change the story if other children in the book knew about A. Blob’s secret? Can they think of a few people in their own life about whom they have made assumptions? Have others made assumptions about them? What did this mean for their relationships and the way they treated others and themselves?
The Activity
Following discussion, give each student a piece of lined paper with a space to draw a picture (download templates here). Instruct them to write about something that most other students don’t know about them and include a picture (it can be hand-drawn or pasted in). For example, are they a great big brother? Do they take dance classes? Do they love cooking special dishes with their grandmother? Be sure to note that this should be something they are comfortable sharing and shouldn’t be anything too personal.
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Next, give each student a cartoon person to color and design to resemble themselves (download template here). Finally, cut the picture in half and glue the edges to the written stories to make two flaps.
Next, give each student a cartoon person to color and design to resemble themselves (download template here). Finally, cut the picture in half and glue the edges to the written stories to make two flaps.
If you have the time, allow students to present their projects to the class. Following presentations, have students either write or discuss what they learned and how or if it changed the way they viewed their peers. Will this change the way they approach other relationships?
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It’s easy to label people. Getting to know people takes time and vulnerability. It takes patience and the willingness to admit you were wrong sometimes. However, it is the first big step in resolving a multitude of issues such as prejudice and bullying. Once we learn all the things about each other that are different than we thought, the more we can begin to discover all the things that are the same.
I hope you enjoy this activity and it helps bring your classroom closer together. What are some fun things about yourself that not many people know? Share in the comments!
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This is A. Blob is a masterfully illustrated picture book suitable for children ages 4-8. Written by Lori Kefalos, author of several animated shorts, including “Who’s that Knocking,” “Chug,” and “Croc, Pots and Wildebeests,” which was nominated for Best Independent Short Short, Ages 5-8, at the 2009 Kid’s First Film Festival and for best short at The Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, This is A. Blob is the first of a series following this bully.
This first installment follows the antics of A. Blob, a slimy, purple, blob-like creature who wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye.
Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help.
This first installment follows the antics of A. Blob, a slimy, purple, blob-like creature who wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more than meets the eye.
Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help.
 | BOOK 2 NOW AVAILABLE! A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
― Abraham Lincoln
I was reminded of this quote by our 16th President as I attempted to complete the poetry challenge set forth in last week’s blog. Trying to gain some inspiration, I read several poems written in the same forwards-backwards style of the challenge and I was struck with just how much a simple change of perspective can alter our outlook and attitude entirely.
 Image via https://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/4734829999 | The human brain likes to categorize: “This is GOOD and That is BAD”. However, in the real world, subtleties and gray areas exist far more often than not. Life and people are marvelously and beautifully complex and we do both a great disservice when we try to put them in boxes that can be tied up neatly with bows. |
Instead of viewing the world in black and white, we must allow ourselves to see in radiant Technicolor.
Instead of viewing the world in black and white, we must allow ourselves to see in radiant Technicolor.
Some might view such thinking as little more than a way to let bad behavior go unpunished; however, I would disagree. Taking the time to see things from someone else’s perspective is, instead, a way to let good behavior find its way out. It is a way to cut bad behavior off at its source. Looking for the positive doesn’t dismiss the negative; it simply doesn’t allow it to take control.
We can’t make every person and every bad situation better, but we can choose not to despair.
We can’t make every person and every bad situation better, but we can choose not to despair.
This challenge was a stretch for me, but I’m so glad to have taken it on. Not only did it stretch and sharpen my skills as a writer, it reminded me to slow down, step back, and look for a new perspective. I hope it has done the same for you!
So, without further ado, here is my forwards-backwards poem:
| "Just" Inspired by the picture book This is A. Blob, by L.A. Kefalos You Might just see A bully And Nothing more Just a bully Don’t say that it’s Capable of doing better A bully isn’t Don’t tell me It’s true Just a word can inspire The bully to lash out, Causing Pain You might see Actions Beyond mean and cruel Look It will never change Don’t believe It will TRANSFORM And Be a friend All you can do is TRY For a better tomorrow And hope The bullying behavior Could look past You Now read it again, backwards, line by line |    |
***
Let us know what you thought of the poem in the comments below. If any of you have taken up the challenge, please feel free to share your work, as well!
Let us know what you thought of the poem in the comments below. If any of you have taken up the challenge, please feel free to share your work, as well!
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 | |  |
This is A. Blob is a masterfully illustrated picture book suitable for children ages 4-8. This first installment in a series follows the antics of A. Blob, a slimy, purple, blob-like creature who wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that there might be more to A. Blob than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another. The book demonstrates that a bully can come in any shape, size, or color and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help.
 | BOOK 2 NOW AVAILABLE! A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series! |
About Laughing Leopard Press
Hello! We are Laughing Leopard Press, an independent book publisher from Akron, Ohio. At Laughing Leopard Press, we’re interested in publishing works that contribute to our understanding of this wonderful world. Through this blog, we hope to add to that understanding with commentary on life, literature, and a few things in between. We hope you enjoy the blog and take some time to talk with us in the comments or on our social media sites. Happy reading!
For some more great reading, check out our latest release, This is A. Blob by L. A Kefalos. This is A. Blob is a picture book that deals with the sticky issue of bullying through an unlikely character that is a bit sticky itself! As readers follow the antics of A. Blob, they learn to put themselves in the shoes of another and discover there may be more to this bully than meets the eye…
This is A. Blob by L. A Kefalos. $14.95
$1.00 is donated to charity for each book sold on this site--half to St. Jude's and the other half to PetFix Northeast Ohio.
$1.00 is donated to charity for each book sold on this site--half to St. Jude's and the other half to PetFix Northeast Ohio.
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