Bullying is never ok — that’s true and that’s also the title of Montrealer, Samantha Caucci’s new children’s book — hoping to bring that message to kids in and beyond the classroom.
“Just spread kindness,” said the author and teacher. “It costs nothing to be kind.”
“I want to make sure that kids have that safe space,” said Caucci. “The safe space that I wasn’t really given at that time, that period of time in my life.”
Growing up, this vibrant and whimsical teacher was bullied.
It filled her elementary and high school years.
“I remember telling a teacher in high school and the teacher said, you’re tattle tailing,” Caucci recalled. “That’s when I was like, but I took so much courage just to tell you this and now you’re telling me I’m tattle tailing, I don’t want a child to ever feel like they’re tattle tailing.”
“If they’re feeling a certain way about something,” she added. “It’s for a reason.”
And that’s the reason why she wrote this book.
“It just came out like a month ago,” said Caucci. “I wrote it though a few years ago, but I wanted it to be perfect.”
“I wanted it really to send out the message that I wanted to send.”
“So I took a lot of time to work with my illustrator too,” she added. “To make sure we got the right images out.”
The Illustrator – Caitlyn Rafters — a good friend from well, that difficult time — high school.
“I just knew she was going to illustrate what I had literally envisioned,” said Caucci.
For 12 years, Caucci has been a teacher, sharing her positivity now at École Montessori de Montréal.
The students not only adore her but also her books –- the first one launched back in 2019 called “Perfect Little Me” – about loving oneself just the way you are.
And her new book’s message:
“That they can do something about it,” explained Caucci. “They don’t have to sit in silence and they can share their story to a trusted adult or their teacher.”
“Just spread kindness,” she added. “Be who you are and be beautifully you.”