Over the past few days, I’ve been exploring picture books related to anti-bullying for teachers to use as we continue to promote the theme of kindness.
One Green Apple (Clarion Books, 2006), by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ted Lewin is the story of Farah, a girl who’s recently emigrated to the United States. She doesn’t speak English and has just started school, where some students have been less than welcoming.
In Derek Munson’s Enemy Pie (Chronicle Books, 2000), illustrated by Tara Calahan King, Jeremy Ross is the new boy, and the boy next door has decided he’s the enemy. Dad has just the solution to get rid of enemies. Over the course of the story, the boy learns not to make up his mind about people before getting to know them.
In Those Shoes (Candlewick, 2009), by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones, Jeremy wants the same cool shoes as all his friends, but his grandma tells him they only have room for need, not want. Jeremy is determined to find a way to get his shoes, but he finds out something about himself instead.
Molly Lou Melon is the star of Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell and illustrated by David Catrow (Putnam, 2001). She isn’t like the other children, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying herself every minute of the day.
Molly Idle’s Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle Books, 2013) deserves all the praise it’s received since its publication. This wordless picture book is a joyful pas de deux between two unlikely friends.
If you’re looking for similar books, an extensive list can be found at Storytime Standouts and at the Massachusetts Reading Association. Check out what others are reading today by visiting Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts.
Thank you to Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers for hosting this Slice of Life Challenge!
Reading to the Core 
Thanks for the great list. I already know and love a few of these and am excited to learn about the others.
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These sound amazing! I’m always on the lookout for picture books to use at the 11th grade level because then we can focus on structure and theme, they’re so short and accessible. Thanks for the list!
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I love those books. Great suggestions for the topic.
I’m reading Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool right now.
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Ahh, you have one of my Faves on your list her-Enemy Pie is definitely a cute story-have you seen storyline online where the stars read the books? It’s one of the stories read aloud there…thanks for your recommendations-I want to read one green apple
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Thanks for the tip, Amy. I’ll take a look.
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So much fun meeting you on Saturday! You have some of my favorite books here. One Smile is also a good one, as is Each Kindness. I just came across a couple of more, but will have to look at my blog–it’s why I really should do Goodreads! Have a good night!
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Thanks, Melanie! It was great to meet you! Thanks for the recommendations. We have Each Kindness, but I hadn’t heard of One Smile. I love that it shows the ripple effect of our actions. I do use Goodreads, but often I forget to add titles! Have a great day!
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Great list! I love Molly Lou Melon & can’t wait to add Flora to my library.
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I need to add Flora the Flamingo and These Shoes to Goodreads. Thanks for sharing these great titles. Picture books make the world a better place.
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I adore Molly Lou Melon! Did you see she has a new book out? It’s called Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon and is so cute. I read Flora over the weekend and that’s charming, too. Thanks for joining in!
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Thanks so much for your book suggestions and for linking to my list at Storytime Standouts. This is such an important topic, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my anti bullying book recommendations with your audience.
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[…] Over the past few days, I’ve been exploring picture books related to anti-bullying for teachers to use as we continue to promote the theme of kindness. One Green Apple (Clarion Books, 2006), by Eve… […]
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