38 of The Best Picture Books All About Bullying

Bullying is something most educators will encounter at some point in their classrooms. For teachers in elementary schools, especially those working in a special education setting, helping young students understand kindness, empathy, and respectful behavior is an important part of building a positive school culture.

Conversations about bullying can sometimes feel like a difficult topic if it’s your first time, with the term being used often interchangeably with being mean, or rude, real bullying is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed quickly. Preferably, nipping it before it even starts to become a problem!

Picture books and board books are a really powerful and approachable way to have these conversations with younger children and even older children who benefit from visual storytelling and lighter content. Stories (true stories and fiction stories) provide a little help to young people exploring emotions, making new friends, responding in a new way, recognizing unfair/unsafe behavior, and learning positive ways to respond in challenging and tricky social situations.

For students who are navigating a new school, adjusting to a new boy joining the class, learning lots of new things, navigating the first day of school as the new kid, or learning how to make friends, or dealing with an argument with a best friend, books can be a bridge and create a safe space to talk about these different situations. They assist you in diving deeper into themes like aggression, exclusion, and the power of kindness in ways that feel helpful and supportive, rather than overwhelming.

Picture books also provide a great way to introduce important conversations before bullying becomes a bigger problem. Whether you’re working with the youngest children in kindergarten or supporting middle school students who still enjoy a good read aloud, the right book can open the door to meaningful classroom discussions.

Below you’ll find a collection of wonderful books, with beautiful illustrations, to give you new perspectives, that help students understand bullying, build empathy, and practice small but powerful acts of kindness.

What Bullying Is (and What It Isn’t)

The word bullying gets used frequently in schools, but not every conflict between students falls into that category. There’s an important distinction and one I believe is important to highlight here. 

According to the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and other nonprofit organization, bullying is, “The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.”

So when we use the term, we want to ensure the behaviors we’re describing includes three key components:

• Repeated behavior
• Intent to harm
• A power imbalance

Today, bullying can also happen through social media, cell phones, and virtual worlds, especially as students get older and move toward middle school and eventually high school. It’s also not simply a problem within teenage girls, or popular girls groups. It can affect everyone. Even though this blog focuses on picture books, these conversations are still important and can prep students for the social interactions, unusual point of view,  and challenges they may face later.

By helping students recognize the difference between bullying and everyday conflict, teachers can guide them toward positive ways to respond when things get tough.

Being Proactive in the Classroom Around Bullying

The most effective way to address bullying is before it starts by creating a classroom environment where kindness and respect are part of daily routines.

When students learn early that their actions affect others, they begin to see the devastating effect bullying can have on classmates.

Teachers can be proactive by:

• Teaching social skills directly
• Modeling respectful communication
• Encouraging small acts of kindness
• Helping students build empathy
• Creating safe spaces for classroom discussions

Picture books are an especially helpful tool because they present different stories and different perspectives without putting students on the spot.

Through storytelling from various authors, children see how a main character handle difficult situations, learn how to do the right thing, and explore how kindness can change a tough situation.

38 Picture Books About Bullying

These are some of the best books from our personal list for introducing conversations about bullying, kindness, and friendship. Some of these books are New York Times bestsellers and beautiful additions to your library.

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1. Each Kindness – Jacqueline Woodson
A beautiful story about missed opportunities for kindness and how even small choices can have lasting consequences.

2. The Juice Box Bully – Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy
This classroom favorite teaches students how to be upstanders when a new student like the Juice Box Bully enters the classroom.

3. One – Kathryn Otoshi
A powerful story showing how one quiet character can stand up to bullying and change the classroom dynamic.

4. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon – Patty Lovell
In this sweet story, Molly Lou Melon shows readers how confidence and self-acceptance can overcome teasing.

5. Chrysanthemum – Kevin Henkes
A great book that explores teasing and self-acceptance when a little mouse with a long name starts school.

6. Enemy Pie – Derek Munson
A fantastic book about how misunderstandings can turn into friendship with a little patience.

7. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun – Maria Dismondy
A story about standing up for yourself and choosing kindness even in a difficult situation.

8. Stick and Stone – Beth Ferry
A rhyming story that highlights how good friends support each other during tough times.

9. Wonder (Picture Book Edition) – R.J. Palacio
This adaptation introduces young readers to the message that everyone deserves kindness.

10. The Invisible Boy – Trudy Ludwig
One of Trudy Ludwig’s most beloved books, this story shows how one small act of inclusion can change everything for the little boy.

11. Bully – Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A rhyming story that explores what happens when someone who bullies others begins to understand the consequences.

12. I Walk With Vanessa – Kerascoët
A wordless book showing how a group of students can stand up for a new girl who is being bullied.

13. The Recess Queen – Alexis O’Neill
A popular read-aloud about a bossy student who learns how to be a better friend.

14. Don’t Laugh at Me – Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin
Inspired by a song, this book encourages children to treat everyone with respect.

15. Llama Llama and the Bully Goat – Anna Dewdney
In this llama llama story, Llama must figure out how to handle a bully goat named Gilroy Goat at school.

16. Say Something – Peter H. Reynolds
A story encouraging children to use their voices to stand up for others.

17. Strictly No Elephants – Lisa Mantchev
A story about inclusion and how kindness can create new communities.

18. The Sandwich Swap – Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah
Two friends learn that understanding cultural differences can strengthen friendships.

19. The Bad Seed – Jory John
A humorous book reminding readers that people can learn from mistakes and change.

20. A Bike Like Sergio’s – Maribeth Boelts
A thoughtful story about honesty, empathy, and doing the right thing.

21. The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade – Justin Roberts
The smallest girl discovers her voice and stands up to bullying in her school.

22. We’re All Wonders – R.J. Palacio
A gentle reminder that everyone deserves kindness and respect.

23. Kindness Is My Superpower – Alicia Ortego
A simple story introducing the idea that kindness can change the world.

24. Be Kind – Pat Zietlow Miller
A book that encourages children to think about how everyday choices affect others.

25. The Name Jar – Yangsook Choi
A thoughtful story about identity and respecting differences.

26. Last Stop on Market Street – Matt de la Peña
A beautiful story about empathy, gratitude, and community.

27. My Secret Bully – Trudy Ludwig
This book explores relational aggression and the challenges of hidden bullying between friends.

28. I Am Every Good Thing – Derrick Barnes
An empowering book celebrating identity and confidence.

29. How Full Is Your Bucket? – Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer
A story that helps children understand how their actions affect others.

30. The Hundred Dresses – Eleanor Estes
A classic story about teasing, regret, and learning empathy.

31. Those Shoes – Maribeth Boelts
A story about peer pressure and learning what really matters.

32. The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark – Deborah Diesen
The Pout-Pout Fish learns how to respond to bullying behavior in the ocean.

33. A Sick Day for Amos McGee – Philip C. Stead
A gentle story that highlights kindness and friendship.

34. The Day You Begin – Jacqueline Woodson
A story about feeling different and finding courage to share your story.

35. Same, Same but Different – Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Two pen pals discover they have more in common than they thought.

36. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – Ryan T. Higgins
A humorous book that teaches empathy through a funny classroom situation.

37. Lubna and Pebble – Wendy Meddour
A moving story about friendship and compassion during difficult times.

38. You Matter – Christian Robinson
This book reminds readers that every person has value.

Helping students understand bullying and how to respond to it, is an important part of building a supportive classroom environment- especially for our little people.

Through these fantastic books, young readers and young adult readers can explore challenging topics, practice overcoming bullying, learn empathy, and start to see how small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Graphic novels aren’t included in this picture book list, but you can absolutely find incredible graphic novels your students will love.

When teachers intentionally create opportunities for these conversations, they help shape a positive school culture where every student feels valued.

And sometimes, the best place to start is with a book and your library dashboard! Whether it’s the first book you choose, or the 10th, you don’t have to be a school counselor to help students learn this content. Don’t put these on your “later shelf.” Head to your library and grab them now!