In a town named BasciniLived Family Boombalatty:Granddaddy BoombalattyDaddy BoombalattyMummy BoombalattyAnd Mattie BoombalattyDaddy Boombalatty lost his job in the countrySo, Family Boombalatty had to move to the cityOff to a new school went Mattie BoombalattyBut making friends was not very easyWhen Mattie is bullied by rich girls at her new school, an unexpected visitor comes to her rescue. Join Mattie as she deals with the girls’ cruelty without becoming cruel herself.Learn how she rejects riches, beauty, and revenge in favour of fairness and genuine friendship in this beautifully illustrated rhyming fairy tale for ages 4+.Mattie Boombalatty won a Gold Literary Titan Award 2020.Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite - 5 StarsChange is never easy. When Mattie Boombalatty, her parents, and Grandaddy move to the city so her father can work, Mattie has to attend a new school. Making friends isn’t easy for Mattie. The girls at the new school bully her relentlessly, calling her all kinds of mean things. Mattie is so sad that when visited by the Blue Fairy who wants to grant her a wish of riches and power, all Mattie wishes is for the mean girls to no longer be mean. The Blue Fairy gets things wrong, changing all the bullies at Mattie’s school into cherry tarts. It’s a spell that's difficult to reverse, but that’s all Mattie wants as she realizes she can’t change the world by turning mean herself; she just has to learn how to live in it the way it is.Wayne Gerard Trotman’s picture book story, Mattie Boombalatty: Wayne Gerard Trotman’s Rhyming Stories, is a clever way to teach young people not only that bullying hurts, but also that it’s important to remain oneself, in spite of the bullying. The story is told in rhyming verse, beginning and ending with an introduction to the main characters, the Boombalatty family: “In a town named Bascini/ Lived Family Boombalatty:/ Granddaddy Boombalatty/ Daddy Boombalatty/ Mummy Boombalatty/ And Mattie Boombalatty.” There are lots of children’s stories that address bullying, but this one is unique as it turns the issue around and makes the bullied person into a stronger, better person by dealing with the issue through acceptance, even when others don’t accept her. A powerful message. Cleverly told, fun to read, and beautifully illustrated.