"Treat Wooly Bear like you would want others to treat you, and do not listen to the other children. Some day they will understand."
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Looper by Dawn Fuller Trafford Publishing
book review by Caroline Blaha-Black
When a new student called Woolly Bear comes to the Pillar Elementary, all the other caterpillar children immediately notice that he is different from them. He has long hair all over his body and is scruffy and hairy, which earns him the undivided attention of the school's caterpillar bully, Rubus. Wooly Bear is sad from all the teasing when his new friends, Looper and Julia, step in to tell Rubus to leave the newcomer alone. However, Rubus is determined and steals food from Wooly Bear's lunch. His face swells up, as he's allergic to Wooly's food. Wooly Bear feels sorry for Rubus, and instead of laughing at him, he teaches him a valuable lesson in friendship, and that it's okay to look and be different.
The book teaches a powerful lesson on bullying to elementary-age children and is full of colorful illustrations of caterpillars in a school setting, which would appeal to young children. The book concentrates mostly on Wooly Bear rather than Looper, and so the book's title might have reflected that. The font is large and black, which is easy to see by young readers' eyes, and the book is thin enough that it can be read in one sitting. The colorful characters and the subject matter will keep young readers entertained. This is also a good book for parents to read aloud to their children and a useful tool in the classroom.