SuitabookA Bad Case of Tattle Tongue
Julia Cook
- Reading
- Read it together and pause before the lesson is resolved. Invite the child to sort imagined situations into “tell”, “warn” or “pause and think”, then ask whether Josh’s tongue and friendships change by the ending.
- Themes
- Reporting and responsibility: The story centres on Josh repeatedly tattling and on learning to distinguish unnecessary tattling from warning about important matters. The book appears designed to clarify a practical social distinction rather than simply discourage all reporting.
- Friendship and social consequences: Josh is described as having no friends because he tattles on people and even his dog. The setup connects his conduct with social isolation, but it is unclear whether the story explores others’ perspectives or how relationships develop.
- Humour and bodily change: After tattling repeatedly, Josh wakes with a long, yellow, purple-spotted and itchy tongue. The striking physical change is presented as part of a humorous, imaginative premise, though its emotional effect on Josh is unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The unusual tongue is described as long, yellow, purple-spotted and itchy. Josh’s social isolation is also part of the setup. A child who finds bodily transformation or rejection unsettling may benefit from pausing to discuss the humour.