Big Head Bob – Helping Children Work Through Big Things
Teaching children how to transform weakness into strength and deal with things like anxiety, Big Head Bob helps kids learn mindfulness, diversity, inclusion, and more in a series of children’s books.
David Bradley, author, artist, and producer of Big Head Bob, shared that he’d drawn him ever since he was a kid himself.
“As a kid, I loved arts and crafts. I wasn’t the best at drawing, and I just came up with a very giant head and small body,” Bradley explained. “Something clicked in my heart and my brain. It was fun and funny, and I thought, what a goofy character! I just called him Bob at the time.”
After the birth of his nephew in June 2020, Bradley decided to make a fun arts and crafts project, bringing Big Head Bob to life.
“My nephew was my motivation and inspiration, and in the process, the stars aligned,” Bradley said.
Since then, he’s published three children’s books of Big Head Bob adventures and coloring books, with more on the way. The books are also translated into seven languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, German, French, and American Sign Language on YouTube.
“It’s a challenging process, but worth it as we reach more kids and adults,” Bradley said.
The Metaphor Behind Big Head Bob
Basing the character on some of his own experiences, David Bradley spoke about the metaphor behind Big Head Bob.
“We all have our big head imperfections and differences, both physical and mental,” he said. “This story is about identifying that and transforming it into something great, something positive.”
To better relate this metaphor to people of all backgrounds, Bradley said he also made a point for Bob’s head to be transparent instead of him having a specific skin tone or color. This way, everyone can see themselves in Bob’s story.
“His head is more like a bubble, so all ethnicities, religions, and groups of people can identify with the character’s story and see themselves in Bob. Figuring that out was part of the developmental struggle with publishing. I didn’t want people to say, ‘This is his skin color,’ so instead, he is translucent,” he explained. “This actually worked out because now you can see more of the background on the page, like the colors and vibrancy of the gradient sunset behind him.”
Lessons From Big Head Bob and His Friends
With each book focusing on a different subject, Big Head Bob and his friends help kids and adults learn, grow, and see the world in a more positive light.
“The first book is about developing a growth mindset and mindfulness. The second, which features Bob’s friend, Long Neck Lisa, is about friendship and not judging others based on their differences. And the third book features the whole ‘Bob Squad,’ including his animal friends Stinky and Blinky, and focuses on inclusion,” Bradley explained. “I have a fourth book in mind already, which is a spinoff of Long Neck Lisa’s adventures in gymnastics, and a fifth one where Bob goes to school.”
Keep an eye out for the fourth book’ release in Fall of 2024.
Inspirations for Big Head Bob’s Friends
Similar to how David Bradley pulls from some of his own experiences growing up to develop Bob’s character, other people also inspired Bob’s friense.
Long Neck Lisa
“I definitely pull from personal experience to create the story, but the entirety of the characters is a collaboration from my parents and friends, as well as teachers and students,” Bradley said. A perfect example of this is the character Long Neck Lisa from the second book, who is based on his mom.
“She has scoliosis and had to wear a back brace in school, so kids called her miss long neck. When I told my family about writing a second book, my mom said, ‘How about Long Neck Lisa.’ Being an artist, she then drew the character who is now Bob’s friend,” he explained. “That happened to her 50 years ago, and she still remembers how it felt to be bullied. I thought that was amazing to transform her weakness into a strength and turn her experience into a character for the world.”
Blinky, the One-Eyed Cat, and Stinky, the Smelly Dog
Sharing his favorite part about the Big Head Bob journey, Bradley shared that the feedback from students, teachers, and parents also helps inspire characters. He then shared a recent experience at a local elementary school.
“There was a 4th grader who asked a question at the in-person assembly in front of 400 students and teachers. He asked, ‘Are you ever going to write about more serious topics?’, which everyone gasped at,” Bradley said. “When I asked about what, he said disfigurement or death.”
Returning to the school this year, Bradley asked if the student still enrolled there. The school brought the now-5th-grade student up on stage during the Q and A session. Asking the student if he remembered the question he’d asked the previous year, Bradley then told him how the third book expanded the ‘Bob Squad’ to include Blinky, the one-eyed cat, and Stinky, the smelly dog.
“I told him that I thought of him when I wrote the book and those characters,” Bradley said. “He asked if he could say something, so I handed him the mic. He shared how his brother is disabled and low-functioning autistic and that he is also autistic and feels like Big Head Bob sometimes.”
“I realized partially because of Big Head Bob, that that’s my superpower, to stand out in a crowd,” the student said. This moment strengthened Bradley’s appreciation for the work he’s doing.
“That experience reminded me that I’m on the right path; that it’s a really special opportunity,” he said. “People can say ‘This is my insecurity or difference; this is how I own it.'”
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Challenges and Goals for David and Big Head Bob
Becoming a published children’s book author is no easy task. David Bradley shared some of the challenges he faced in creating the book.
“I’d never created, illustrated, formatted, or marketed a book before. So everything was difficult, but developing the characters was very fun,” he said. “It took six months to get the first printed draft of the first book and then another three months to finalize it. So it takes about nine months to make one of these books.”
Looking forward, Bradley has a lot planned for Big Head Bob and the Bob Squad.
“My main goal is to be in school curriculums and have the books in stores worldwide. And in general, I want to create a movement of kindness, love, and acceptance,” he said. “I’d also love to produce a fun, learning-type kids television show, like with PBS or Scholastic.”
Big Head Bob in the Classroom
As a children’s book, Big Head Bob is perfect for classrooms and school curriculums, especially those encouraging kids to be more mindful and inclusive. David Bradley also shared some of the ways he’s personally been able to collaborate with schools to discuss Big Head Bob.
“Thanks to social media, I’ve visited hundreds of classrooms, virtually and in-person, worldwide. Teachers love the inclusivity and creativity, and it’s used to talk about mental health in a broader literary sense,” he said. “Kids also get to see how a book is made and created, how an idea is developed, and how something is brought to life. And they learn how what you do as a kid affects you later in life. Thanks to Bob being a very identifiable, flexible character, schools and teachers keep inviting me back!”
In an era of resurging book bans and groups trying to remove books that include diversity or inclusion from schools, Bradley has no fear about whether or not Big Head Bob ever would be banned.
“If I ended up on a banned book list, I’d welcome the challenge and I think it’d be good press,” he said with a smile.
College Students Joining the Bob Squad
David Bradley also mentioned that he works with college students as well by offering paid internship programs for students all around the U.S.
“They do social media takeovers and work in the fields of their majors,” he said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to connect with the youth. In the process, they’ve even created a blog series, and we now feature about 20 blogs from students touching on mental health and education. It’s a really amazing forum for people to speak freely about their experiences in life.”
Elaborating on the many topics the students cover in their blogs, he said that they talk about “every subject.”
“This has included things like social anxiety, disassociation, abortion, society, COVID, bullying, everything,” he said. “It’s really educational and freeing. We’ve created a forum that people feel comfortable with sharing, “This is my story, how it affected me, and I hope the reader learns something.”
While not currently accepting new students at this time, in the future, students interested in interning with Big Head Bob may check for openings through Handshake.
How David Personally Relates to Bob
Sharing which Big Head Bob story is most personal to him, David Bradley shared a memory of when he was a kid.
“I fell behind on reading comprehension, so they took me out of gym class for one-on-one tutoring with my teacher. So I would miss gym to tutor, and when I got home, I’d cry to my mom that I missed my favorite class and missed spending time with my friends,” he said. Feeling left out in that situation really stuck with Bradley and resonates in Bob’s book experience. “These funny scenarios about Bob’s Big Head are actually sad because he wants to be a normal kid.”
Moreover, he shared that he also personally relates to the climax of Bob’s first story, where Bob learns how to practice meditation to build his mindfulness and “get out of his big head.”
“One time while I was meditating, about 5 minutes in, I couldn’t quiet my brain, and I just laughed out loud realizing the conversation I was having in there,” he said. “It’s a constant reset, like an ebb and flow; you have to bring yourself back and take that next breath. It helps a lot to do it every day. It’s a practice you just keep working at.”
In terms of how he personally identifies with Bob himself, Bradley said that he and Bob are both fun, creative, and full of adventure.
“I’m traveling the world with the character,” he said happily. “It’s exciting!”
David Bradley’s Experience With Creating Big Head Bob
Bradley has come a long way since starting his journey with Big Head Bob.
“It’s a full-time job now,” he said. “There have been times when I’ve received 150 email requests to attend a virtual class and one time I received more than 400 requests in a few days. So, it can be a lot.”
In addition, he said he never faced so much rejection and unresponsiveness in his life.
“That hasn’t affected the journey I’m on. We actually received the Crystal Book Mark Award at the Las Vegas Book Festival two years ago!” he shared. “Currently, I have my sights set on Bob being the next Bluey, Cocomelon, or Paw Patrol. I want him to be a fun, mental health-positive character worldwide. I already have a collection of more than 150 videos and skits on YouTube. So we’re “just Bobin’ right now.”
Bradley also shared the lessons he learned in the process.
“Life is hard, career change is hard, rejection is hard, and sacrifice is hard,” he said. “But if you do it with the right intentions and purpose, that difficulty really isn’t that big of a deal.”
Big Head Bob in the Community
In addition to visiting schools, Bradley also shared that Big Head Bob occasionally partners with local organizations, schools, and universities to create events for kids.
On September 11th, in partnership with the UNLV Early Outreach program, Chef Bob hosted an event for K-5 students where they taught the kids how to run a restaurant.
“It [was] a Capstone program for the kids, complete with chef hats and aprons. They [got] to read the books, talk about how hospitality relates to actual life and what it’s like running a restaurant,” Bradley said. View some of the photos from the event here.
You can also find Big Head Bob and David Bradley at the monthly First Friday Festival. Visit them tomorrow, October 6th, for First Friday’s 21st-anniversary event.
#GetinMotion with Big Head Bob
David Bradley shared several ways to get involved with and support Big Head Bob.
“Include us in events and have us come visit. We love collaborations,” he said. “And, order your books on our website, subscribe to our YouTube, and follow us on social media.”
Follow Big Head Bob on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and order some Big Head Bob swag from Etsy.
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