Barnaby Bumstead and the Gentle Takedown
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley June 5, 2026
Author Remi Makulec
Distributor: Amazon
ISBN: 978-1918428261
Publisher: Brown Dog Books
Release Date: 1 June 2026
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Barnaby Bumstead is one of those kids that never, ever seems to quite fit in. He is skinny, all arms and legs, wears glasses and has a mop of red hair that always looks like a bit of a haystack; and he is very, very smart.
His life is a misery at school because he is always bullied by Bossy Bertha and her brother Bumbling Bob, who seem to think that they are the bosses of the playground, making everyone, especially Barnaby afraid of them. That is until the day Barnaby decides to do something. To stand up to the bullies.
In this well-presented story Barnaby Bumstead and the Gentle Takedown from Remi Makulec, she deftly deals with the issues around bullying and how, by using your brains, discovering the weak point and planning carefully, bullies can be overcome without having to be big, noisy and full of muscles.
When Barnaby worked out what Brazilian Jui Jitsu was all about, thanks to an old book he found at the bottom of the heap, he realized this was the perfect way to even things up with Bossy Bertha and Bumbling Bob, without doing any real harm.
Written for the little kids, brainy kids, skinny kids and any kids who have ever felt bullied Barnaby Bumstead is a lot more than just a story as it shows the science behind the quiet skill of Brazilian Jui Jitsu, introduces new words and the concept that sometime being smart and gentle is the best way to become a hero.
At the end of the story there is a Vocabulary Vault to learn the new words used as well as a Word Search for all the Brazilian Jui Jitsu words, but also there is a little hint about the next Barnaby Bumstead adventure with his sister Pippa and a small mystery he has uncovered.
Highly recommended reading for children of all younger years. The gentle wording accompanied by fabulous illustrations makes this a must have for all school libraries.