Champions
Narelle Oliver
This thingamajig was different from other thingamajigs.
“How plain!” scoffed one.
“How boring!” snorted another.
“How drearily different”, they all muttered.
The very blue thingamajig was mostly left alone.
…….from The Very Blue Thingamajig
by Narelle Oliver (Omnibus/Scholastic, 2003)
Narelle Oliver is author-illustrator of many children’s picture books including The Very Blue Thingamajig and Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie which show how bullying can happen, and how things might be turned around for the better.
Narelle, what’s one of the things you’d like to highlight about bullying?
Bullying often happens when someone is different or doesn’t fit in.
Have you, personally, been picked on for being ‘different’?
I remember when I was at school, the most important thing was not to be different in any way to fit in.
I was raised in a family which followed a fairly uncommon religion – and I tried to hide that as much as I could. For those who were different, the result was being teased and left out of things. Although this is not physical bullying, it is bullying just the same. It can make life very miserable …even scary.
How have you explored these ideas in your children’s books?
Well, The Very Blue Thingamajig comes out of his egg with very few features on his body. He is different from other thingamajigs. They tease him and leave him alone. Then, after he grows many new features, he is still teased for being different – but this time because he is a “show-off”. He can’t win! However, there is hope. He discovers another lonely thingamajig who has been rejected for her different features. Together, they have the best fun testing out their wings, with not a worry in the world about their differences.
Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie also looks at ‘difference’, but in a different way! There is one snig who convinces others not to fear the newcomers, and to appreciate the many good ideas they brought with them.
In both stories, the ‘outsiders’ are bullied for being different. But they do not hide their differences. Instead, they manage to find friends who are not worried by these differences, and things get better from there.
What do you think we could do to increase understanding and appreciation of difference in our schools and society?
One thing which might help is to include more books and movies in school curricula in which students who are from minority groups are shown in a complete way (with all their struggles) rather than as a stereotype. It would be very powerful if there were scenes showing what it is like to be bullied. My son read a book which was set as a compulsory Year 10 English novel, called 'The Chocolate War'. I read the book as well and I thought it would be impossible to bully a student after reading it. I think the stories need to be convincing and well-told so that the audience can feel empathy for the bullied character, even if they are from a different kind of background.
How could you tell if it was working? What would you see?
Once again, I will use an example from my son's recent experience. A group of boys were waiting at the bus stop after school. One unpopular boy was suddenly picked on by a student who was in a confident, popular group. A fight was about to begin, but a few other boys stepped in and quickly stood between the two boys. Eventually the bus stop supervisor arrived and the incident was reported to the school . If it had not been for those boys blocking the fight, I think it might have been bad for the unpopular boy. Those boys who blocked the fight were a bit different themselves in lots of ways - perhaps they recognised what it was like to be in the unpopular boy's position.
Another sign of more tolerance to 'difference' would be friendship groups which contained a mix of students from different racial groups.
What messages do you have for people who are being picked on for being different?
Stay strong and find a friend or friends who know what it is like to be different. Try to remember that it is probably fear of something which is motivating a bully.
What would you like to say to those who are picking on others?
For one moment, try to put yourself in the shoes of the person you are picking on. Imagine their fear as they see you coming, what misery lies ahead each day for them as they think about what you might do or say to them ... If you can imagine and feel that just for a second, then maybe there will be no more joy in your bullying.
Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy
© 2011.
For copyright information about this website, and circumstances
in which
reproductions of this website are permitted, please visit our
Copyright Notice.
