Eddie the chicken bullies his classmates mercilessly, saying nasty things and playing mean pranks at every turn. Universally disliked, he is even unpopular with the teachers, who frequently give him a time out for his bad behavior. Then one day a new student, Carla the pig, arrives at school, and before Eddie has a chance to launch into yet another malicious and hurtful campaign, Carla's friendliness and trust in his good nature have disarmed him...

I have seen Eddie the Bully criticized as unrealistic, when it comes to the social dynamic of bullying. The argument runs that bullies are often the popular ones, enabled by peers and teachers alike, rather than being unhappy or disliked, and I think there is definitely something to that argument, in many cases. On the other hand, I do believe that our expectations, whether conscious or not, when entering new social situations, can have a profound influence on how our first interactions with peers or colleagues unfold. I vividly recall my first professional encounter with a boss who was, unbeknownst to me, universally disliked in my new work place. Because I had no preconceptions about her, nor any expectation that she would mistreat me, I reacted with pleasure at seeing her, and displayed no nervousness when speaking to her. From that day forward, my relationship with her was quite pleasant, something quite unusual at that particular job, and something which I attribute (at least partially) to our positive first interaction. So while I understand the critique offered of the "bully reformed by kindness" narrative here, I do think there is some truth to it, in some situations.

Leaving that question aside, I found the story in Eddie the Bully entertaining, and thought the colorful, cartoon-style artwork was both amusing and engaging. Cole has a talent for creating expressive animal characters, and that is definitely on display here. Recommended (with the caveat, discussed above, that it may not fit every scenario) to anyone looking for children's stories about bullying, and about positive methods to address bullies. I liked Cole's afterword, in which he shared the real-life story form his own childhood upon which his book is based. ( )