Pete and His Gigantic Feet by Carrie Talbott

Gigantic feet and bullies don't mix. Pete's feet don't stink but being made fun of sure does. When the teasing at school becomes too much, Pete's daily visit to the woods becomes more than just a fun detour. Empathetic friends encourage him back to the playground, but will his new plan to quiet the bullies actually work?

This is a delightful and encouraging book for children, 4-8 years old, who have felt the effects of bullying. It's great for friends or parents who want to help too. The rhyming text is clever. The illustrations are wonderful.

I highly recommend this book as a source of confidence for children, emphasizing that God has designed each of us for a purpose, with special features. The animals share their quirks, like the bucktooth Mr. Beaver and the eagle with the bald head. Like Pete, kids are encouraged by the animals to stand firm in who they are.

Carrie VomSteeg, writing under the pen name, Carrie Talbott, is from the redwood forest of Mount Hermon, California, where this book is set. After marrying and living in Southern California for twelve years, she and her husband left their secure job and comfortable lifestyle and moved to Baja, Mexico to start a nonprofit ministry. They had a four year old and Carrie was pregnant. Nine years later, they call their tiny, dirt-road town home and have no plans of moving back to the states. VomSteeg has written for Just Between Us magazine and has two stories coming out in Focus on the Family's Clubhouse Jr. magazine. She is working on a story for tweens about prejudice and bullying, set in the Mexican town where they live. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@carrie_talbott).

James Elston graduated from The Columbus College of Art and Design, worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation, and currently with Dreamworks – Big Idea Entertainment, LLC. His list of clients as a freelance illustrator is impressive. You can find out more at http://jameselston.com/ and http://jameselston.blogspot.com/.

Westbow Press, 20 pages. You can buy the book at CBD, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I received a complimentary copy of the text of this book from the author with the purpose of an independent and honest review.