Although Mickey and Jack had once been friends, Jack's bullying behavior - stealing his cookies at lunch, tripping him up, stealing his baseball cap - had driven a wedge between the two boys. Mickey's father advised him to use his brave words, because bullies were cowards, and his mother advised kindness, in light of Jack's possible feelings about having a new baby sister. Mickey himself wasn't sure what to do, until he saw the other kids begin to bully Jack for his new braces...

The fifth and final picture-book about Mickey, his family and his friends, Bully address an all-too-common childhood problem. Author/illustrator Judith Caseley sensitively depicts how a friendship can deteriorate, and how a child being bullied may feel helpless and unsure of how to protect themselves. I have seen some online reviews criticizing this one, because of the way it handles the central issue. It is certainly true that adults often times underestimate how harmful bullying can be, and mistakenly put the onus on the bullied child to find a solution. What I found interesting myself was the variety of strategies offered by the adults, and how each of these failed. When Jack's mother sees him pushing Mickey at the beginning of the book, she takes him home. This fails to solve the problem, and Jack continues to bully Mickey at school, demonstrating how adult intervention and punishment often doesn't change childhood social behaviors, when adults are absent. Mickey's father's advice, to use his "brave words" and stand up for himself, is something Mickey had already done, in calling Jack a "rat" at the beginning of the story, when he (Jack) stepped on his fingers. This too failed to solve the problem, but rather worsened it, demonstrating that sometimes confrontation can deepen the underlying problems that cause bullying. Mickey's mother's advice, to love one's enemy, is something the young boy attempts to put into practice, by providing extra cookies for Jack, but it too fails, and could even be read as pacifying the bully. In the end, it is Mickey's sympathy for Jack, when the latter boy is called names because of his new braces, that heals the wound between them, and solves the problem.

A part of me finds this solution far too pat, and thinks it unlikely, in most situations. Few bullied children would be able to use this strategy, unless the bully were to become the target. On the other hand, childhood friendships do often follow these trajectories, going from friendship to hostility and back to friendship again, so the story here is not impossible. In the end, I was impressed that Caseley showcased how complex this issue is, even if there isn't a perfect solution provided. I would recommend this one to those seeking picture-books about bullying, and about arguments between friends, with the proviso that they read it through before sharing with children, to see if it might be helpful. ( )

I like this book because of the characters, but I do not like this book because of the language and plot. I like this book because the characters are believable. The characters in this book are very relatable. When Jack was bullying Mickey, Mickey was very torn on what he should do to stop Jack. He did not know if he should kill Jack with kindness like his mom said too, or to stand up for himself like his dad said. I believe this is relatable to many people when they are being bullied; they are not sure what to do or how to get the bully to stop. Another thing that is believable about these characters is the obstacles in which they face. For example, Jack has a new born brother and is jealous that he is not the only child anymore. This life obstacle is very common especially in younger age children. I did not like this book because of the language. The book was not very descriptive. For example, when Jack started bullying Mickey, it was Mickey’s mom that told the readers why Jack was upset. I thought this was very confusing. I think Jack should have told the readers why he is mad and should have also described why he is feeling this way and what he is actually feeling. I think this would benefit the readers understanding and make the book more interesting. I also did not like the plot because of the end. Jack and Mickey became friends again because Mickey made Jack laugh. This is showing bullies that it is okay to be mean to people, but if they make you laugh you can be friends with them. This is also showing readers that if someone is bullying you as long as you make them laugh they will be your friend, when this is not the case.
I believe the author, Judith Caseley, is trying to tell readers that they need to stand up for themselves if they are being bullied. I also believe she was trying to show readers that if someone is bullying you, there might be an underlying factor as to why they are being mean. ( )

Bully depict what happens often time between friends and can carry at school and get worse if nothing is done. Judith Caseley teaches children how to use brave words and problem solving techniques to stop bullying.

A little boy is being bullied by another boy and doesn't understand why or how to deal with the bully. He asks for help from the important people in his life and finally understands why the other boy is bullying him and how he feels.
Ages 4-7
DuPont Library ( )

A boy who is being bullied at school struggles to understand why another boy would bully others, he asks for help from his parents and begins to understand how the other boy feels.
Age 4 - 7
DuPont Library ( )