What do you think?
Rate this book
Little Bill
The Meanest Thing to Say
This easy-to-read story about peer pressure by comedian and storyteller Bill Cosby is now a Scholastic Reader!
Michael Reilly has introduced a new game to Little Bill and his friends. You get twelve chances to say something mean to another kid--and whoever comes up with the biggest insult is the winner.
Insults start "Jose hops with the frogs in science lab!" "Andrew eats frogs for dinner!" "Little Bill shoots baskets like a girl!"
Little Bill tries to think of really mean things to say in retaliation. But Dad teaches him a strategy that enables Little Bill to save face while remaining the nice kid that he really is!
Michael Reilly has introduced a new game to Little Bill and his friends. You get twelve chances to say something mean to another kid--and whoever comes up with the biggest insult is the winner.
Insults start "Jose hops with the frogs in science lab!" "Andrew eats frogs for dinner!" "Little Bill shoots baskets like a girl!"
Little Bill tries to think of really mean things to say in retaliation. But Dad teaches him a strategy that enables Little Bill to save face while remaining the nice kid that he really is!
40 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
980 people want to read
About the author
Bill Cosby
146?books220?followersWilliam Henry Cosby Jr. is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy star, with his longest-running live-action role being that of Cliff Huxtable in the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984¨C1992). He also released several stand-up comedy albums and was a popular spokesperson in advertising for decades. Cosby was well known in the United States for his fatherly image and gained a reputation as "America's Dad". Since 2014, dozens of allegations of sexual assault have been made against him.
Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the Hungry I nightclub in San Francisco in 1961, and primarily performed observational comedy in a conversational style. He released numerous standup specials starting with Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right! (1963) and starred in the comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself (1983). Cosby still holds the record for winning the most Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, with seven wins. His acting career began with a starring role in the NBC secret-agent show I Spy (1965¨C1968), which broke new ground for African Americans when he made history by winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first black actor to do so.
Cosby made his film debut starring in Man and Boy (1971) followed by Hickey & Boggs (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let's Do It Again (1975), A Piece of the Action (1977), Leonard Part 6 (1987), and Ghost Dad (1990). He produced and starred in a series of television sitcoms such as The Bill Cosby Show (1969¨C1971), Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972¨C1985) and The Cosby Show (1984¨C1992) as well as its the spin-off A Different World (1987¨C1993), The Cosby Mysteries (1994¨C1995), and Cosby (1996¨C2000). He hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998¨C2000). During his prolific career he advertised numerous products including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop.
Over 60 women have accused Cosby of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Those allegations gained traction 2014 after a set which made mention of them by fellow comedian Hannibal Buress went viral. Numerous allegations followed with Cosby maintaining his innocence and repeatedly denying the allegations made against him. Despite receiving numerous awards and honorary degrees, several of them were revoked following the allegations. Reruns of The Cosby Show and other programs featuring Cosby were pulled from syndication. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against Andrea Constand. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on the basis of Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights having been violated. In 2022, Cosby was found civilly liable for having sexually assaulted Judy Huth when she was 16.
Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the Hungry I nightclub in San Francisco in 1961, and primarily performed observational comedy in a conversational style. He released numerous standup specials starting with Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right! (1963) and starred in the comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself (1983). Cosby still holds the record for winning the most Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, with seven wins. His acting career began with a starring role in the NBC secret-agent show I Spy (1965¨C1968), which broke new ground for African Americans when he made history by winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first black actor to do so.
Cosby made his film debut starring in Man and Boy (1971) followed by Hickey & Boggs (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let's Do It Again (1975), A Piece of the Action (1977), Leonard Part 6 (1987), and Ghost Dad (1990). He produced and starred in a series of television sitcoms such as The Bill Cosby Show (1969¨C1971), Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972¨C1985) and The Cosby Show (1984¨C1992) as well as its the spin-off A Different World (1987¨C1993), The Cosby Mysteries (1994¨C1995), and Cosby (1996¨C2000). He hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998¨C2000). During his prolific career he advertised numerous products including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop.
Over 60 women have accused Cosby of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Those allegations gained traction 2014 after a set which made mention of them by fellow comedian Hannibal Buress went viral. Numerous allegations followed with Cosby maintaining his innocence and repeatedly denying the allegations made against him. Despite receiving numerous awards and honorary degrees, several of them were revoked following the allegations. Reruns of The Cosby Show and other programs featuring Cosby were pulled from syndication. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against Andrea Constand. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on the basis of Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights having been violated. In 2022, Cosby was found civilly liable for having sexually assaulted Judy Huth when she was 16.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 20, 2020
Loved the plot & the tactic provided, however, it will be a problem if the child has a bad temper. Will teach this to the kids around and see how it works :)
December 31, 2018
It¡¯s a cute book. Bad timing on my part, but, again, I am shamelessly reading anything to get this Read Harder challenge done. This technically qualifies as an Oprah Book Club Read. Darn those 4 or 5 novels that I read that weren¡¯t on the list. Now I¡¯m cramming but refuse not to meet this goal completely and honestly. 5ish more hours left til I stop reading, watch the ball drop and rush out and watch the fireworks. Happy New Year¡¯s Eve!
April 15, 2021
This book is such a great example of how children should act. The new kid wanted everyone to say mean things to each other to see who could say the meanest thing. This was a horrible game to play and the kids didn't like it. Little Bill talked to his family and found the perfect way to win the game. He said "so?" after everything Michael said. It aggravated Michael so much! Then they all ended up playing basketball together. I love the diversity in this book along with the great message. The illustrations look like a kid drew them which I really liked.
April 22, 2015
This book brought back some childhood memories for me because I remember watching the TV show "little Bill," when I was younger, which is based off of the same characters in this book. I think that this book teaches a lesson about getting along and bullying in a realistic way that kids will be able to relate to. I like how at the end of the story, the bully realizes that nothing good is coming out of putting down other people.
I think that this would be a great read aloud to discuss bullying in the classroom. It could be read at the beginning of the year to prevent problems, or later in the year if problems arise. It could also be a good independent reading for a student that has been bullied or has the history of being a bully. This would help both of them realize that bullying is not the solution.
This book shows a good use of dialogue. It contains many conversations and would help children learn how to follow dialogue in a book. The dialogue is simple, but it is an essential part of the story.
I think that this would be a great read aloud to discuss bullying in the classroom. It could be read at the beginning of the year to prevent problems, or later in the year if problems arise. It could also be a good independent reading for a student that has been bullied or has the history of being a bully. This would help both of them realize that bullying is not the solution.
This book shows a good use of dialogue. It contains many conversations and would help children learn how to follow dialogue in a book. The dialogue is simple, but it is an essential part of the story.
March 3, 2015
I thought this was a funny and clever way of dealing with bullying. In the story, a new student is trying to get other kids to play a game where they say the meanest things to one another that they can think of. Bill is struggling trying to think of things to say back to the boy at the next day of school when his dad gives him an idea. The next day when the new kid was trying to initiate the others to say mean things, Bill keeps saying "so" and it works like a charm. No one was bullied in that way again and everyone ended up being good friends. I would use this in the classroom to teach students how to offset, prevent, and stop bullying. It's a simple story with a strong message of how children can stand up for themselves, others, and override bullying with humor. I loved this story and the underlying theme that it teaches us, kids and adults alike!!
March 8, 2021
I am totally confused as to why this book is on Oprah's book club list?!?! It is terrible. Intended for young audiences this book presents a problem: kids being mean to each other. The solution? To not engage with them. The result is that the mean kids will suddenly be nice, especially if you include them in an activity that you want to play. The parents in the book don't really address how wrong the situation is. I imagine there are a couple factors at play here. The first factor being parenting styles and parenting mindsets (and even society mindsets) at the time of publication. The second factor has everything to do with the author.
January 26, 2016
Those of you who grew up watching "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" like I did will find these easy readers very familiar. In this story from the series, Little Bill has a problem with a new student at school who wants everyone to play a new game. The game involves giving the worst insults you can to others, trying to say "the meanest thing" in order to win. But with some help from his family, Bill comes up with the perfect response.
Great for parents, teachers, and guidance counselors who are dealing with topics of bullying, insults, and peer pressure.
Great for parents, teachers, and guidance counselors who are dealing with topics of bullying, insults, and peer pressure.
July 11, 2013
The Little Bill books were one of the first series books that I received when I was younger and I remember reading these books with my family. My favorite thing about these books were the illustrations; they were nothing like other books I had seen. This series was my first introduction to chapter books and I really enjoyed reading them. I recently used this book while doing a running record and the child really liked the book as well.
February 19, 2013
This is a book about playing the dozens! A new student is assigned to Bill's class, all he wants to play is the dozens! But Bill and his friends don't want to. The new student plays by himself and ends up getting all other students in his bad side. But that's ok because Bill's dad knows just how to solve it! This is a great book to aid building community in the classroom.
November 12, 2014
I thought that this book had a very simple yet implied message.
I love how Bill Cosby never said the moral out loud, but made sure
you had to figure it out! I loved the portrayal of the white and colored
kids who each taught something different. Plus, it was a pleasant and funny read all throughout!
I love how Bill Cosby never said the moral out loud, but made sure
you had to figure it out! I loved the portrayal of the white and colored
kids who each taught something different. Plus, it was a pleasant and funny read all throughout!
September 26, 2012
I feel like this book could be used to address bullying and maybe teach children how to do with mean comments from peers! This book had a different approach to bullying, it changed it into a game instead of an actual children bullying another! Very cute! :)
November 6, 2012
A great story that many kids can either relate to or learn a lesson from, since it has to do with bullying and how to deal with bullies. It's a great story for using the text-to-self strategy, relating to times when someone's said something mean to you and how it made you feel.
Read
March 5, 2016This book, much like the Little Bill TV show, teaches students a great lesson about using hurtful language. It also explains a cute little strategy one can use to deal with this kind of mean language.
March 5, 2012
If kids read this book they might mistakenly start thinking that bullies can be undercut. Not so.
November 2, 2013
This was great book to read with my in2books pen pal to cover the topic of bullying.
Read
December 16, 2013AR Quiz No. 19888 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.2 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.2 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
January 7, 2014
lil bill tho
April 24, 2016
These books are fantastic and written by the famous Bill Cosby on issues for kids.
Read
May 13, 2014x2
March 4, 2015
It is about saying mean things to one another, and how to stand up for yourself when it happens.
I enjoyed the illustrations and color.
I enjoyed the illustrations and color.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2015
This was a good idea, but there was nothing special in how it was carried out. I can't imagine a kid wanting to hear it more than once.
December 4, 2015
Alissa learned the power in the tiny word "So."
June 13, 2022
ÕˆÓ÷±ówÖÐÎÄ×ÖÊÇ̨ž³µÄÎÄ×Ö ?That was such an ignorant statement. ?You can't be serious. àËÄãºÃ
August 12, 2022
Went into this with low expectations and was still thoroughly disappointed. When I was a little kid Bill Cosby had interesting, useful things to say about the childhood experience. Also, on The Electric Company, he helped me learn to read. This is 40 pages of trash and nonsense where he tells us the way to make friends with a bully is to laugh at him until he's unhinged with rage and then invite him to play basketball. Maybe there's a kid that would work on, I don't know, but my experience with bullies was that if I laughed at them and frustrated them to the point of rage, I could expect to get knocked down and spit on, at the very least. Usually they stole from me, too.
Whatever else Cosby was doing between 1977 and 1997 (and I think we all know what he was doing), he was not keeping in touch with the kids. Or reality. Even the jokes are bad. The art's pretty good. That's the best I can say.
Whatever else Cosby was doing between 1977 and 1997 (and I think we all know what he was doing), he was not keeping in touch with the kids. Or reality. Even the jokes are bad. The art's pretty good. That's the best I can say.
February 29, 2020
Just finished reading the childrens¡¯ book ¡°THE MEANEST THING TO SAY¡± by BILL COSBY & illustrated by VARNETTE P. HONEYWOOD. This is #26 in my Oprah Reads and Re-reads bookclub. Michael Reilly has introduced a new game to Little Bill and his friends. You get twelve chances to say something mean to another kid--and whoever comes up with the biggest insult is the winner. Insults start flying: "Jose hops with the frogs in science lab!" "Andrew eats frogs for dinner!" "Little Bill shoots baskets like a girl!" Little Bill tries to think of really mean things to say in retaliation. But Dad teaches him a strategy that enables Little Bill to save face while remaining the nice kid that he really is!
March 3, 2018
I read this book because the local library is running a literacy incentive program that encourages readers to select books from a variety of categories. One of the categories this year is "banned books". I found this series on the ALA's list of "10 most challenged books of 2016"
September 2, 2020
This is a cute little book that helps children find a solution to meanness from other children. The kids are playing a "mean thing" game and Little Bill's dad, Big Bill helps him find a kind solution to the game. The illustrations are cute and show that Little Bill has a very diverse group of little friends. It's a fun book to help learn a kinder way to behave.
February 20, 2017
The meanest thing to say is a story about boys having fun. If you just read the title and look at the cover picture you would think that this was a book of bullying, however, it is not. Funny and enjoyable book.
October 13, 2018
A great book to read to children who are being bullied. A bully moves into a school and through his influence, almost turns his classmates into bullies themselves, until they learn the proper response to the mean things he says.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.