Best Anti-Bullying Picture Books for Kids

Bullying is a huge issue.  It exists, sadly, in possibly every school on the planet and is expressed and lurks in so many different forms from social media bashing to shoves in the hallway.  I have three big hopes for my children: 1- That they will never be the bully 2- That they won’t be bullied and 3- That if they ever see bullying they find a way to “stand-up” and “speak-up”.  Chances are they will have experiences with all three in some form or another and I am hoping that when they do they recognize it for what it is, remember what I have taught them, and change course immediately or know the correct steps to get help.  In the meantime, I am reading them fantastic books like these in hopes that these strong protagonists can address the issue, spark discussion and make a lasting influence.

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“The Smallest Girl in The Smallest Grade”by Justin Roberts and Christian Robinson- In this story a sweet little girl notices everything around her at school and some of the things she sees she feels just aren’t right.  She decides to speak up and we learn that even the smallest person can make the biggest difference.

“What Happens Next”by Susan Hughes and Carey Sookocheff- This is one of the more helpful books on bullying that I have seen!  It addresses how the child feels begin bullied and the steps that they take to address and resolve the issue.  I also like that the bully and the protagonist don’t end up being friends because more often than not this is probably the case.  However, they understand one another better and the bullying is replaced with respect.

“I Walk With Vanessa”by Kerascoët- This book starts with a scenario at school where a child witnesses another child being embarrassed and bullied. She wants to be kind, but doesn’t know where to start at first. After some consideration on the subject, she finds just the right way to be kind and make a difference.  This one is wordless but SO powerful!

“Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully”by Audrey Penn and Barbara Leonard Gibson-This story about bullying is a favorite of mine because the protagonists experience with confronting the bully is guided by his mother and filled with kindness.  In the end teamwork and taking a stand prevails and they learn that bullies can become friends.

“Super Manny Stands Up!”by Kelly DiPucchio and Stephanie Graegin- In this story Manny is a self confident individual who when he sees someone being bullied at school decides to stand up and speak up even though it is intimidating.  I like that this story is someone standing up for someone else being bullied and the two become friends afterwards.

“My Friend Maggie”by Hannah E. Harrison- I love this sweet story and the fact that it is a twist on anti-bullying books that I don’t think I have seen before.  In this book it is a best friend who gives in to peer pressure and joins a group of bullies who are picking on her friend Maggie.  In the end she learns that joining the bullies isn’t the best situation and that true friendship is forgiving and always kind.  Such a tender one!

“One”by Kathryn Otoshi- This book is powerful! It is brilliant in how it illustrates (in its minimal yet so effective manner) that all it takes is one person to take a stand and make a difference.  Then that difference has ripple effects and that one can become many.  This book is a little more advanced perhaps in its format so I would recommend it for older readers.  It is also fantastic enough for starting so many discussions about action and bullying.

“Stick and Stone” by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld- Stick and Stone were alone until one day Stick sees Stone being bullied.  He takes a stand in defense and the two end up fast friends.  Such a darling story about friendship and kindness.

“Llama Llama and the Bully Goat” by Anna Dewdney- This book, like the other Llama books I’ve read, is not only fantastic, but geared for the littlest bookworms.  In this story Llama has a bully in his classroom who is hard to play with and doesn’t always say nice things.  With a little help from the teacher they find a way to make the classroom a safe and fun environment for everyone again.

Willow Finds a Way” by Lana Button and Tania Howells- This story is such an important one for bullying because it shows a situation where the bully is not immediately recognized as a bully.  She appears to be a popular girls and at first glance may even seem incredibly nice.  However, she is bossing everyone around to the point that she is a big bully.  Willow recognizes that things are not right and in the end finds a way to take a stand when speaking up seemed to hard to do.  I love the resolution in this story as well as how relatable it is.

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