Jungle Bullies

From School Library Journal Pre-Grade 1–In this cumulative picture book, Elephant wants to swim in the pond, so he chases Hippo away. Hippo forces Lion to move so that he can get by, and Lion chases Leopard out of his favorite spot. Leopard forces Monkey out of the tree, and he runs to Mama, who advises him to stand up for himself. With her help, he tells Leopard, Don't you tell me what to do, this tree's big enough for two. Share it with me as a friend, don't be mean to me again. This rhythmic refrain is repeated as each animal, with the help of his new friends, stands up to the bigger bully until all of the creatures are playing together in the pond. The watercolor and charcoal spreads with digital techniques are inviting and simple while conveying the animals' fear and then remorse when confronted. The predictable recurring text makes this a good read-aloud and a helpful way to introduce the topic to children. –Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Author Steven Kroll is the author of many beloved picture books for children, including Pooch on the Loose: A Christmas Adventure, illustrated by Michael Garland, The Biggest Pumpkin Ever, illustrated by Jeni Bassett, and A Tale of Two Dogs, illustrated by Mike Reed. He lives with his wife in New York City and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.Illustrator Vincent Nguyen was born in Houston, Texas, and later moved to New York City, where he received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. He has illustrated a number of picture books, including Jungle Bullies by Steven Kroll and Whoosh Went the Wind! by Sally Derby. He has also worked as an artist for animated feature films, such as Robots and Ice Age 2. He lives in New York City.