BULLY
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/August 2013
Bully doesn't have a kind word for any of his friends.
What will it take for a little bull to realize he's being a big bully?
(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2014
Boston Globe Best Books of 2013
Bank Street College of Education Best Books of 2014
CBC/NCSS Notable Book, 2014
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2014
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children, 2014
(reviews)
starred review/School Library Journal
"The anti-bullying message comes across clearly without being heavy-handed or didactic. The arc of the bull’s experience engenders discussion and encourages the quest for satisfying solutions."
starred review/Publishers Weekly
"Seeger’s pages pop with action, and the lesson couldn’t be clearer.”
starred review/Booklist
"Intelligently conceived and beautifully executed, this picture book is visually and verbally pared down to essentials, making it accessible to a wide age range. Yet for all its simplicity, this story opens up a number of complex issues for discussion.”
starred review/Shelf Awareness
"Seeger digs deeply into the emotional lives of youngest children with an honest picture book that acknowledges cruelty's vicious cycle. Seeger both acknowledges that bullying can start early in childhood, but also shows that a little kindness can go a long way to reverse its effects."
Horn Book
"Showing that she can be just as clever with words as she is with images, Seeger takes on name-calling in this barnyard drama. Perfect for the preschool set, the book is deceptively simple at first glance, but, as with name-calling itself, there is a lot going on beneath the surface."
Kirkus Reviews
"Characteristically impeccable design distinguishes Seeger’s latest..."
New York Times
"Seeger uses little text and deceptively simple images to say a lot... What's lovely about BULLY is that the little bull is a sympathetic character throughout... Seeger offers children a way to root for him..."
Washington Post
"This title packs a punch, or perhaps a pat on the shoulder... Beginning with the stop-sign-red cover sporting an angry brown bull, Seeger signals her intent to tackle an ugly subject, carefully calibrating it for the very youngest... BULLY elucidates not only how the dynamic of name-calling works but where it might begin and how it might be ended... Context is everything... When the final spread shows an opening in the fence, it’s far more than a casual design element: It’s a gate through which the bull and his newfound friends walk into an altered reality... A complicated idea brought into focus through utter simplicity."
Book of the Week/CCBC
"Visually eloquent... Intent is everything here... Seeger leaves plenty of space for readers of the words and pictures to observe, reflect upon, and discuss the characters thoughts, feelings, and actions... The bold illustrations are complex in terms of gesture and feeling."
Boston Globe
"There is beauty and wisdom in simplicity, and Caldecott-Honor winning Seeger has mastered the art of getting down to basics."