Member Reviews
This is such a sweet tale and really highlights how it's the things that make us different are the things that make us special. Unique names, looks, colors, and personality are all things that make a person who they are. No one is right and no one is wrong. Everyone is wonderful in their own way.
Thank you Tomac Scott for creating such a wonderful book. Being bullied since elementary though junior high, I know very well that rejected feeling.
The story about an Indian-descent girl with weird name, that made her schoolmates joked on her, is not nice. I was wondering why the teacher didn't interfere, though. But just like Bunu, we have to fight that feeling of being unimportant. You are all special in your own way.
A very relatable book for so many people about a girl whose name, Bunu, is a little bit different and so a number of children at school make fun of her for it. In order to overcome the bullying (even as it continues sometimes) we see Bunu make friends whom appreciate her for her. See here is where I start to have issues. These friends approach her and just magically appear. As a child I do not ever remember that once happening to me. Maybe if you're super outgoing and interesting with a charism that draws people to you kids just randomly wanted to be friends. But in my case I had (and still have) a very hard time making friends. So I'm not sure I buy into the idea that friends just magically appear.
That said, I did really like the acknowledgement that Bunu is still picked on by some people but has the courage and self-esteem to ignore them and carry on as herself. I think we often imply in children's books that the world will be all better at some point. When in reality there is always something hard happening, daily. And so if we are realistic with our children then hopefully we can set them up for success and not for continued small failures that eventually grind them down to nothing.
Certainly an excellent daycare, school, or babysitting book as it's relatable to many.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Thank you Netgalley for the e-book of What's Her Name by Tomac Scott in exchange for my review.
What's Her Name is about a young girl named Bunu. Bunu moves to a new neighborhood and starts a new school. Unfortunately, some of the kids make fun of her name. Bunu is sad but eventually makes some friends and overcomes the bullying. I didn't exactly care for aspect of Bunu becoming famous just to quell the bullying. But overall it was a cute story.
I think the sentiment of the book is important, and I loved how Banu and her name were validated by her name's history and it's contemporary appeal. Having said that, I'm not sure it's entirely relatable since the ultimate outcome was brought about by an exceptional opportunity (the commercial). There are not enough commercials in the world to host all the beautiful non anglo names in the world. I know that's not necessarily important in fiction, but I think we either present an exceptional opportunity or an ordinary reality (people get to know her through her baking and realise she's so awesome her name doesn't matter OR is celebrated). My honest opinion about the aesthetic is that the illustration is not to my personal taste, though judging by reviews below it is popular with others! I think that's the brilliance of art - it is subjective. I also found some of the pages to be very text heave and formatted in a way that was distracting to both the text and the illustration.
This read was simple to understand to encourage kids’ to accept others and seek out their namesake. Students would be able to empathize with Bunu and see the effects of bullying.
This book harbours an important message for young children... bravely stand up and be proud of who you are and your heritage.
Bunu is very excited to attend her brand new school and when she introduces herself to the class she faces bullying and mocking due to her unusual name. Devastated she returns home to her mother in tears asking why some of her classmates are so mean to her. Her loving mother explains to her daughter the reason her name was chosen for her and how special it really is. Bunu reacts to her aggressors by baking her classmates cupcakes to share the next day. Will Bunu's act of kindness change things? Will Bunu finally gain the respect and acceptance that she rightly deserves by her peers?
The illustrations are colourful, the classroom is full of diverse faces, and the message is positive. Being a former classroom teacher and principal I am angered that no teacher, lunchroom supervisor, or principal intervenes to stop the cruel bullying behaviour and shelter Bunu from all the harassment and beastliness. That never, ever, ever should be allowed in any school. This important book would be a lovely tool to start conversations about how to treat others with kindness, respect and dignity. I highly recommend this book.
This is about a girl named Bunu, who has moved to a new town. She is excited and hopeful because she was very accepted by kids at her old school. She faces some bullying struggles, but finds her people and even finds fame with a fashion brand. I like the idea of this story and the themes of loving what your culture gives you and finding out the stories that make you, you. But this story's writing was very simple, basic, and just telling. None of the characters had any personality and the ending was very unrealistic. I didn't appreciate how Bunu finally loves the uniqueness of her name because it made her famous and kids wanted to say it because of the brand. Not the best message in my opinion. Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced look at this story!
Thank you NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing for a copy of "What's Her Name?" in exchange for my honest review.
This was a cute book about a young child who started a new school and was bullied about her name. She then learned she was named after a very strong family member and grew to love her name.
This book was cute in the fact that she grew to love her name and that she quickly name friends at the school. But the ending what a little strange which brought it down a star.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of the book, to the author as well.
This book was great to read, it made me realize the imperfections of some people's behavior and reality. Not long ago something similar happened to me on snapchat, however, I didn't pay much attention to it. Now, I realize it's because they think they are different from it.
The book is about a girl who enters a new school. although, the kids there laugh at her because of her name. Until she started to thrive, first she got her group of friends, second she...(You will be able to know what will happen when you read it).
5.0
I thought this was a sweet book that really illustrated the importance of kindness, especially when someone may be different than you. The illustrations were cute and the story was nice.
I liked the pictures in this book. A story about a little girl who moved and at her new school, children made fun of her unusual name! I was glad that she made friends with nice children and not the children who were mean to her. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I enjoyed this book! The illustrations are colorful, and it touches on the issue of bullying at school. It's hard to be someone with an unusual name, and being identified as "other." I think this book could be a great one to start discussions with kids on how to be kind to others. I love the story behind Bunu's name. However, I do think that the ending is a bit abrupt.
As a kid, I definitely moved around a lot so I felt this very emotional connection to Bunu. I felt as if some of the experiences I was reading about were my own.. "What's Her Name?" was an absolutely delightful book. I'll be recommending this one to my friends.
An adorable story with a lot of super pictures, so colourful and nicely laid out.
The author had been bullied at a young age because he was different, he also had an unusual name.
Kids can be so cruel.
Mind you, some adults can be too.
The way he’s written this is encouraging.
She didn’t have a good day at school and she told her mom why.
So that’s showing a child to open up, communicate.
Also as the days went by her personality and her friendly nature was her strength I thought.
There will always be bullies. It’s how you handle yourself which is very hard without support around you. I loved how she made some friends yet some of the taunting because of her name continued, but she could manage it. She had found some good friends. Her support.
Loved it.
This is ash adorable story with an idealistic message about being proud of who you are and inner strength, but I thought it was a bit of a mixed message in how Bunu achieves it, she finds acceptance outwardly, by almost bribing her classmates and it seems to send a message that you need to be popular to be accepted. Overall it’s a great book, it does teach perseverance and anti bullying but just thought the way it was achieved might confuse kids.,
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
this was a short middle-grade book about accepting and being yourself. I thought the end was a bit rushed and unrealistic. Not every child is going to be famous because of their unique name, but I enjoyed reading it.
Bunu has just started a new school and is really excited until she introduces herself and the other kids are mean and make fun of her name, she returns home in tears not wanting to go back because they call her 'boo boo' but the next day she begins to make new friends and learns about her name and becomes proud of it, eventually everyone wants to be her friend.
This was a lovely little story about overcoming bullying and being proud of who you are. Bunu makes her mum proud and makes lots of friends. A very inclusive book.
Lovely story with a lovely meaning.
About a little girl who moves to a new school, but people laugh at her because she has an unusual name.
Her mum tells her a story regarding her name, which then makes her happier.
Everyone in her class eventually comes around though.
Lovely illustrations
The book is trying to send a message about being proud of who you are, but some of the story detracts from this message. Bunu finds acceptance outwardly instead on within herself. By wooing her classmates with treats and being chosen to be a model in order to be accepted, she relies more on what others think. The illustrations are beautiful and the coloring reflects the tone of the story.