#blogbookaday: Bully

Summary:

“Bully the bullfrog lives in a pond full of lilies. The flowers are beautiful, fragrant, and enjoyed by the many other creatures that also inhabit the pond. The pond is a very pleasant place to live. Or it should be. Instead, Bully decides that only he should be able to enjoy the beautiful lilies. He demands that the other inhabitants of the pond leave. And once Bully has the flowers to himself, his selfish behavior almost destroys them. Can anyone stop Bully and his bullying ways? As it turns out, the answer is YES! Using humor and whimsy, author-illustrator Jennifer Sattler masterfully shows young readers that standing up together can make all the difference in the world.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Bully loves his pond of lilies, but doesn’t want to share it with anyone else. He kicks out the snails, dragonflies, bees, and even the smallest fly. He loves having all the lilies to himself, but the insects aren’t too happy about it. They stand up to the bully together and get their pond back (and the lilies start growing back too!)

Personal Reaction:

This was an interesting book and a valuable one. I actually liked the fact that the bully didn’t come around to being a friend. In the real world, sometimes bullies will always be bullies. What this story focuses on in standing up together to make a difference. Which, honestly, isn’t always easier when it comes to a bully. This could definitely be a discussion starter in a classroom or at home about what to do with a bully and how even just one person (and maybe their friends) can stand up and make a difference.

Title: Bully
Author: Jennifer Sattler
Illustrator: Jennifer Sattler
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: July 15, 2018

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!