Bully

Bully is a bullfrog, but in Sattler’s (Pig Kahuna) watercolor-and-pencil drawings, he resembles a slightly less ugly version of Jabba the Hutt. Huge, squat, sickly green, and scowling, he chases away all the small, appropriately bug-eyed critters, all of whom should be able to enjoy the lily pond with him. According to Bully, everything lily is “MINE”—even the lilies’ scent: “Their smell is most marvelous. Marvelous and MINE,” he huffs to a pink dragonfly, who is sweetly savoring the fragrance. But when Bully almost wipes out the lilies with his selfishness, a brave bee rallies all the other pond insects. Together, they form a massive, angry cloud—readers can almost hear their righteous, indignant buzzing—and chase Bully away to a mud pond that nobody wants. (“Humph,” he says, now covered in brown splotches. “All mine.”) Sattler’s brightly colored insect characters, including some slithering species, are not just adorable, they’re also fully within their rights. The lesson is clear: individuals may not feel very powerful against an intimidating figure, but there’s strength in numbers. Ages 4–8. [em](July) [/em]