Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (review)

The opening pages give the briefest of backstories for this literal "bull-y," as a brown bull slinks away after being rejected by a bigger bull. When approached with an offer to play by some smaller critters, the brown bull lashes out in turn: he yells "CHICKEN!" at the chicken and "SLOW POKE!" at the turtle, tells the bee to "BUZZ OFF!" and informs the skunk, "YOU STINK!" With each nasty shout, the bull and his words grow larger in size on the page until only one hoof and the edge of his face are visible. When he hollers "BUTT OUT!" at the goat, the goat sets him straight, huffing "BULLY!" at the bull before marching off. This retort causes the bull to regroup—and to shrink in size—until, prostrate on the ground, he offers a tearful "Sorry . . .Wanna play?" to his friends, who respond with "OK," and the animals head off together happily. Though oversimplified (and overhopeful), the story is also very age-appropriate, and the way the bull's increasing size mirrors his increasingly rude posturing makes the power aspect of bullying concrete for a young audience. The illustrations use simple compositions with smooth, basic colors filling thickly lined figures and minimal background (beige with a handcrafted paper texture and a simple gray fence), keeping the focus staunchly on the words and actions of the bull. Adults, and some kids, may think the bull's friends let him off too easily, but the breakdown of the lesson into its simplest elements (anger, apology, forgiveness) may make it a useful template for young children navigating the tricky territory where emotions and relationships intersect. This will be a valuable discussion tool for families, schools, and libraries.