Couple Writes Children’s Book to Fight Bullying

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Ashley Klann, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

If you’re a little confused about what Snions, Stiraffes and Frish are, not to worry, Al and Keith Toney of Holden will fill you in with their first book, Snions, Stiraffes and Frish... Hooray! The children’s book is the first in a series to promote awareness of bullying and discrimination.

The couple runs AK Consulting to help individuals at schools and corporations who have experienced discrimination. They have successfully challenged local and national laws regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights and are looking to bring awareness of these issues to a younger age group to hopefully prevent it in the future.

The Issue of Bullying

“Bullying is very prevalent especially with new legislation that has been put through in Mass. The effect it has today on youth is huge, as shown by the recent suicides in the Western part of the state,” said Keith Toney, illustrator of the book. “It’s an issue that needs attention. It needs to be done at a younger age.”

“According to new state legislation, each school system in Massachusetts has to have a plan in place to address bullying. Keith and I were part of training and have worked with teenagers on these issues,” Al Toney said. “Our book wouldn’t be part of the plan to address it, but it can be used as a resource for parents or to have in the school or as an activity used by students.”

The couple has worked with teenagers across the state and has seen that in the case of middle school and high school students, these patterns are already in place – bullying is a serious issue for today’s children and needs to be addressed early.

“The messages you’ve already gotten and lessons have already been engrained,” Al said. “We need to increase the number of positive messages for kids at an early age. We need to incorporate it into everyday matter of fact things.” He added that one of their focuses in this book is to educate children and incorporate

The Idea

Snions, Stiraffes and Frish... Hooray! shows the various background and diversity of a group of animals that are a little different. In the book, a pet dog named Gonzo travels to a whimsical place called Fairview Valley, meeting many creatures who help find his friend as well as teach him about the unique differences that we should embrace.

“The concept for the book came about while driving to a family’s house. We saw something hopping in the grass in a nearby field. We were arguing whether it was a rabbit or a squirrel,” Al said. “I forget which one of us said it, but we came up with cross between the two. This got us into a game of thinking of different animals and what the name would be if they were crossed.”

“As a result it developed into an educational tool because they were different and being ostracized by both of the other animals. Snions – which are a cross between snakes and lions – didn’t fit into either family. In the story, as he was growing up he was picked on, but for all of these animals in the book, their differences and unique characteristics are not seen as a negative but a positive,” he said, adding that he and Keith have gotten a little help from their daughter over the past eleven years of putting the book together. The couple were taking care of other issues and hopes that the next book in the series will come in the next year.

“We intertwined that concept into bullying and kids feeling ostracized, and we built it into a story. In the end, that activity can be used either by parents or teachers for kids to draw, create, and make up their own creatures,” Al said.

The couple wants the book to create a dialogue with parents, children, teachers and students.

“We want to spark the conversation that we’re all very different and come from different backgrounds. We all look different. They’re going to encounter people throughout their lives that have many different qualities,” said Keith.

A Leaning Process

The book above all stresses inclusion, which includes bullies.

“When we talk about diversity and inclusion and bullying, I talk about how at different times I was a bully and a victim in my life,” Al said. “We ask adults in training to talk about how it was for them. It’s okay for people to say they’ve been a bully, but to say that they’ve changed or learned as a result.”

No matter who decides to pick up their book, the couple stresses that it’s all a learning process on the issue of bullying.

“We hope that parents and teachers become more aware of their children and schools. It’s a diversity book too. If you present it as matter of fact it is, if you present it as an issue, you’re creating a problem. That’s the point of the book – everything just is,” Al said in discussing how these issues are brought to children.

“For every great idea there’s someone opposed”

Although Al and Keith’s book presents the issues in a non-threatening, helpful manner, they are aware that sometimes these issues do face backlash but Snions, Stiraffes and Frish… Hooray! has yet to see a negative response.

“Everything in there is subtle and matter of fact. I don’t expect it because it’s non-threatening. I don’t intent for it to be an issue,” Al said. “But we know by putting ourselves out there, you’re going to be the target of many things. That comes with the territory.”

“The more it gets out there, the more people will see it. For every great idea there’s someone opposed. We believe in the message and hope other people will too,” Kieth added.

“At AK Counseling we’ve done commercials, movies, we’ve done a lot of stuff. We live all of this. We don’t just speak it, we live it,” Al said.

A Book You Can Get Into

Readers of the book have a chance to get involved in upcoming additions to the series. In the back of the book, there is a space for readers to illustrate and create their own characters in response to the book. The couple hope to use the inspiration of readers in their upcoming additions.

“We wanted to make it participatory, not just read it and put it down,” Al said. “We imagine that we’ll put something out in the next year. We want to focus on getting this out there and getting the word out.” They are hoping to introduce the book at schools and community organizations and will be announcing locations for book signings by the end of next week. The book is available in hard or soft cover via their website.