A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying

In support of October being Bullying Prevention Month and today being Bullying Awareness Day, A Geek Daddy is highlighting National Geographic Kids' A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying and giving away a copy of the book to one of our blog readers. Jim and Jamie Dutcher lived in a tented camp in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains for six years among a pack of wolves, observing and documenting rarely seen social behaviors.  The Dutchers produced three documentary films from the experience which won three Emmy Awards and also published with National Geographic Kids the children's book A Friend for Lakota based upon one of the emotionally touching experiences during their observation of the wolf pack.

Lakota is a shy pup and as the wolves grow up the other members of the pack take advantage of his being timid.  The other wolves begin to bully the gentle-natured Lakota growling and snapping at him forcing the young wolf to be submissive to them as what the Dutchers term the "omega" of the group which is the bottom of the wolf pack. Eventually though, Matsi, the Beta which is the second wolf in the hierarchy of the pack, befriends Lakota defending him from the bullying.  Matsi's friendship neutralizes the bullying and builds up Lakota's confidence helping him to eventually become an equal member of the pack.

After reading this story with my children, I had a chance to chat one-on-one with Jim and Jamie Dutcher about their experiences with Lakota, Matsi and the rest of the Sawtooth wolf pack.  They explained to me that they had been visiting elementary schools around the country to discuss their experience living with the wolves and the story of Lakota always overwhelmingly resonated with the children they were talking with.  So the couple decided to team up with National Geographic Kids to share the story of the wolf who braved bullying.

"You would see these kids who from their demeanor probably were being bullied themselves raise their hands in the crowd of students and ask if Lakota was ok and everything turned out alright for him," said Jim Dutcher during our interview.  "These kids faces would brighten up so much when I explained that he eventually overcame the bullying and lived a very long healthy and happy life with the wolf pack.  It seemed to provide some reassurance that things would be alright for them too."

"Another important point to be taken from this story is just say no to bullying like Matsi did," added Jamie Dutcher.  "We are hoping that children who witness bullying will step in like Matsi did to stop that behavior and befriend the victim.  This story really shows how being a friend to someone else can make a huge positive impact on another life."

"We emphasize that the other wolves never were trying to kill or seriously hurt Lakota but rather the bullying was meant to put him in his place as an inferior "omega" member of the pack," Jim noted.  "Lakota was actually the biggest animal in the pack and was the best howler.  Often times bullying would begin after he out shined other members of the pack while howling and the other wolves wanted to make themselves feel better about themselves by picking on poor Lakota.  This really relates to human bullying and shows a similarity between wolves and people."

Jim and Jamie also mentioned that they hope this book will provide a better understanding of wolves with children that will help with future conservation efforts for the species.  "People think of wolves as these dangerous, fierce creatures, but if you ran into a wolf in the wild it would probably be scared of you and run away," Jim noted.  "Wolves are an endangered species because of humans hunting them and causing habitat loss," added Jamie. "Hopefully this book and Lakota's story will help change perceptions and help protect wolves in the wild."

During their study of the wolves Jim and Jamie camped out right in the woods with the wolves so that the pack eventually became accustomed to the humans being around them.  This allowed the Dutchers to observe and document experiences with the wolves that humans rarely see.  One example referred to by Jim during our discussion was how Jamie was allowed to climb into an underground den to see new born puppies and if the couple hadn't been adopted by the pack the wolves would have been protective against allowing that to happen.  This relationship allowed the Dutchers to take some remarkable photographs of Lakota and the wolf pack that are included in this book.

Jim and Jamie's experience with the Sawtooth wolf pack also led them to start a non-profit conservation organization called Living with Wolves. This non-profit group is dedicated to raising broad public awareness of the truth about wolves, their social nature, their importance to healthy ecosystems and the threats to their survival hoping to build acceptance that can lead to coexistence between people and wolves sharing the same land.  This group has sponsored a free online activity guide about grey wolves with National Geographic for children 4 to 10 years old plus provides a free downloadable coloring book to educate children about these animals.



Now to the giveaway! For a chance to win A Friend for Lakota you  must be a U.S. or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit the following entry method prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday October 11, 2015.  All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

UPDATE:  Congratulations Nancy B from Fresno California on winning A FRIEND FOR LAKOTA book.

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.   Email subject line should be LAKOTA. 

A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying is a 32 page hardcover book meant for children 4 to 8 years old.  The book retails for $16.99 on the National Geographic online store.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but National Geographic is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a free featured product for the blog to review and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.  #NGKINSIDER

Marvel Comic Book Tackles Bullying

 A few months ago Marvel Entertainment partnered with STOMP Out Bullying, a bullying and cyber-bullying prevention organization for kids and teens in the U.S. by highlighting that October is National Bullying Prevention Month through publishing variant covers for some of its popular comic book titles that addressed the topic.  Now Marvel is taking things up another notch by publishing in January a one-shot comic book dedicated to tackling the problem of bullying titled AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1.  The 40 page comic book will be specially priced at $1.99 and feature three separate stories with anti-bullying themes that will involve The Avengers, Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here's Marvel's press release for more information:

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are out to make bullying a thing of the past with AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1, an all-new one shot featuring some of the best and brightest talents in the comic industry as they stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

Arriving in January, this specially priced $1.99, 40 page one-shot contains three brand-new stories from top tier talents. Featuring fan-favorite Gerry Duggan (Deadpool, Nova, Hulk), rising star Sean Ryan (Uncanny X-Men/Nova/Iron Man: No End In Sight), Jeff Loveness, and Jody Houser making her Marvel writing debut, along with blockbuster artists Carlo Barberi (Thunderbolts), Tana Ford (New Warriors) Marcio Takara (Captain Marvel), and Gustavo Duarte.

From the streets of New York to the furthest corners of the cosmos, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are no strangers to bullying and the damage it can cause. Heck, half the time, bullying is why Marvel’s greatest super heroes chose to fight  evil in the first place! Now, Marvel’s diverse roster of super heroes are ready to stand up and help those who cannot help themselves. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Amazing Spider-Man are out to put a stop to bullies everywhere with these three bombastic, can’t miss stories!

“From Peter Parker, Midtown High’s only professional wallflower, to the ever-misunderstood Kamala Khan, Marvel has a proud history of working to raise awareness about bullying and representing its victims as much as possible,” says series editor Devin Lewis. “Bullying is a problem that can affect everyone in a community, and it’s up to that very community to come together to combat it, and, with this issue, Marvel’s Avengers, Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy are joining the fight! I know how comic books can help ease that feeling of isolation, and I couldn’t be more proud or excited about the talent we’ve pulled together for this project!”

Face front readers, as the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes are ready to take on a real world problem more troublesome than any super villain. The best and brightest talent assemble this January for AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1!

I'll probably be picking this up for my son and daughter to use this as something we can read through together as a teachable moment to reinforce with them that they understand what bullying is and why it is wrong.  Look for it at your local comic book store in January 2015!

For more information about bullying visit www.stopbullying.gov

MARVEL SUPERHEROES LOOK TO STOMP OUT BULLYING

The INCREDIBLE HULK will be stomping out bullying in a special comic book cover of HULK #7 meant to promote the topic of addressing bullying prevention in our schools and highlighting that October is National Bullying Prevention Month.  Marvel Entertainment at the urging of STOMP Out Bullying, a bullying and cyberbullying prevention organization for kids and teens in the U.S., is publishing several special comic book variant edition covers on some of its most popular selling youth titles to bring added awareness of the problems of bullying during the month of October. 

 "The center of Marvel's storytelling history is the eternal struggle between good and evil, with many of its greatest super heroes having to contend with – and rise above – bullying, in all its forms," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics. "We are proud to join forces with STOMP Out Bullying on its important bullying prevention awareness mission. We hope that all our fans take a moment this month to educate themselves on the need to stop bullying among our youth by checking out the free resources STOMP Out Bullying has to offer."

The following comic books will feature special STOMP Out Bullying variant covers:

• ROCKET RACCOON #4
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #20
• AVENGERS#36
• INHUMAN#7
• HULK #7
• CAPTAIN AMERICA #25
• LEGENDARY STAR-LORD #4

These anti-bullying covers will  be exclusive to print editions that will only be available through comic book stores. Here are a few of the other covers that will be included in this awareness campaign:

CLICK HERE for more information about STOMP Out Bullying.

PBS airing brand new episodes of ARTHUR: May 6 - 10

Have you ever found yourself humming a tune to yourself at work or when you are out and about on an errand that you might be embarrassed if someone realized what it was?  I’ll admit it happens to me; in fact I seem to find myself singing the theme song to one of the cartoons my kids watch on television all the time.  You have to admit though that the Ziggy Marley reggae beat which serves as the theme song to ARTHUR is a great tune! Haven’t heard it? Take a listen:

ARTHUR is the second longest running cartoon in the United States behind The Simpsons and has been broadcast on PBS since 1996.  The show follows the youthful misadventures of an 8 year old aardvark named Arthur Read and his friends in their hometown of Elmwood City.  It’s a show that I can sit down as a parent to watch with my children and find it enjoyable and entertaining myself.  The stories for the episodes are really well written and they often include inside jokes that will make parents chuckle without the kids realizing something humorous is going on.  More importantly, the shows contain important educational messages and themes with teachable moments children can learn from while they are being entertained by the show. I am a big proponent of finding ways to incorporate FUN into learning as an educational tool.  I believe parents should be careful in limiting the amount of television that children watch, but also some tv programs like ARTHUR can be a beneficial experience for kids too and are a fun way to help your child with learning some life lessons.

In its 16 seasons on PBS, ARTHUR has approached some weighty subjects in an age appropriate manner for young children:  adoption, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, the death of a pet, dyslexia, and food allergies.  As the parent of a daughter with a severe food allergy, I really appreciated the episode “Binky Goes Nuts” which dealt with the topic of peanut allergies (watch it here or click on the video at the bottom of the post).  For more information on the educational elements of the show, CLICK HERE, for a great post on the PBS website written for teachers on how to utilize ARTHUR for their lesson plans.

Each half hour episode of ARTHUR is divided into two 15 minute stories.  New episodes of ARTHUR have been on hiatus since December 2012, but Season 16 continues from May 6 – 10, 2013 with 5 brand new episodes (10 stories).  This week ARTHUR will be addressing a new issue for its young audience, the topic of BULLYING.  As a kid, I was personally bullied to the extent that it still has negative consequences on my own self esteem and confidence. Based upon the incidents I experienced in my youth, I’ve devoted a significant portion of my professional career as an adult addressing the topic of reducing bullying in our society. So I am excited to see ARTHUR tackling this topic in its newest episodes!

Airing on Monday, May 6 in the story “The Last Tough Costumer” the school gang known as the “Tough Customers” realize it is time to stop bullying and find a new hobby.  But can their leader Molly ever truly change her ways?  Than the week concludes on Friday's episode with the story “So Funny I Forgot to Laugh” where Arthur thinks his jokes about Sue Ellen are in good fun but her feelings are hurt.  Has Arthur become a bully?!

Check out this clip from “So Funny I Forgot to Laugh” dealing with bullying:

According to PBS, other new episodes airing this week include:

“Brain’s Chess Mess”
Brain starts a chess club at school to improve his game and beat Los Dedos, the local chess master. Who knew the best player in the club would be…Rattles?!?

 “Baseball Blues”
It’s Grebelings season and George can’t wait to play! After all, no one knows more about baseball than George. But when he realizes knowledge of sinkers doesn’t guarantee success in the field, will he throw in the towel?

“Brain’s Biggest Blunder”
When Brain gets teamed with Buster and Binky in the annual Arithmattack competition, he immediately enrolls Buster in binomial boot camp. Can Brain transform Buster into a mathematic marvel? Or will he be forced to eat humble pi?

 “Buster’s Book Battle”
Lakewood Elementary has just instituted IRP; a program where kids can earn points (and prizes!) for reading. Buster’s thrilled and gets to work straight away! But will he earn enough points for a skateboard?

“On the Buster Scale”
Buster and Brain never agree on movies. Buster rates every film a 10+, while Brain doesn’t seem to like anything…Only one of them can be right…or so they think.

 “Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story”
The unthinkable has happened! Fern has writer’s block! Fortunately, Ladonna’s full of stories. Faced with a tight deadline, Fern decides to “borrow” the tales and simply change the names. Has Fern confused write and wrong?

“Sue Ellen Vegges Out”
When Sue Ellen decides to stop eating meat, Muffy and Francine compete to be the best vegetarian. Can they successfully resist meat? Or was this a missed steak?

 “Best Day Ever”
It’s a beautiful afternoon and everyone is reminiscing about their “best days.” Everyone, that is, except Arthur. Is it possible he doesn’t have one?

ARTHUR is a top notch show with great writing and stories that delve into important issues that is both entertaining and educational.  If you haven’t seen the show before I encourage you to check it out.

For more information on ARTHUR visit http://pbskids.org/arthur/