Normally, I focus my reading on fantasy and science fiction of all ages, but I do like to branch out. Especially with children's/picture books. Bullying is an ever-present issue, and children encounter it from a very early age. I myself was the subject of bullying through most of middle school and junior high. Adults don't seem to remember the hurtful feelings bullying can invoke and don't have good answers when a child is hurting. That's when this book could be helpful.
Bullied provides insight into both sides: the bully and the bullied. This does NOT mean that the story is sympathetic to bullies or in any way condones their behavior. In fact, it does the opposite. The pleasant rhyming scheme is well thought out and rarely stumbles. And I think it makes the subject more accessible to its primary targets: children.
I also appreciated that the story includes an epilogue of sorts. What I mean is we see what might happen in the future to both the bullied and bullies. It even *SPOILER* realizes that bullies have the ability to change. And accepts that not all bullies will.
As for the art, it is not my personal favorite style, but I think it works well with the materials and is clearly done by someone who understands and appreciates art while still being interesting to kids.
I could see this being included in classroom work and in personal libraries as well as in public libraries. There's a lot of information disseminated and reassembled, and it is done in a tasteful way.
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