Bully

Laura Vaccaro Seegar's Bully seems too simple for an almost four year old upon first glance, but the clever plays on words and the message about bullying are compelling. When a large bull is mean to a small bull wanting to play, the small bull takes the hurt and lashes out at other innocent animals. The meaner he is, the bigger he feels. Each page contains the bull lashing out at an animal, calling the animal by its name but with the crueler meaning. He yells, "Pig!" to a pig, "Butt out!" to a goat, "Chicken!" to a chicken, and "Buzz off!" to a bee. Ivy is interested in the double meanings. Finally, the bully is deflated by a goat who calls him a bully. Since this book Ivy has been interested in what a bully is and how to stop them. A deeply advanced lesson for a young girl, but worth some thought.