Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner

Illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. 32 pages. Putnam, 1992.

Unlike the narrator, Bootsie isn't interested in turtles or salamanders - she just wants to pretend that the narrator is one, and she herself is a dinosaur who eats those animals. When the narrator tells her mother that she doesn't like playing with Bootsie, her mother replies that she has to learn to deal with different kinds of people. Faced with the possibility of an overnight visit from Bootsie, the frightened narrator tells her mother that Bootsie intends to eat her alive. When her mother affirms her right not to play Bootsie's game, she thinks of a new one - in which she is a paleontologist, ready to hunt for dinosaur bones. Terrified, Bootsie throws a tantrum, and her parents decide not to leave her overnight. While it's unfortunate that one of the girls always has to be afraid, the narrator has found a way to feel safe, and to avoid putting up with the unwanted visits. Children will see the benefits of using creativity when confronted with a bully.

Ages: 4-7
Cultural Context: European American