Published by Salaam Reads

Summary:  When Rumi joins the class in early spring, he’s quiet and keeps to himself.  At recess, a couple of the other kids, Ella and Asher, make fun of Rumi’s shoes, which he decorated with his friends back in California.  Han doesn’t think their teasing is funny, but he doesn’t say anything.  The bullying gets worse, and Rumi withdraws under a tree at recess, drawing with a stick in the dirt.  When Asher throws a pebble at Rumi and cuts his knee, Han finally speaks up, asking Rumi to play, then noticing the beautiful world Rumi has created in the dirt under the tree.  Soon the other kids are joining them, and Rumi finds himself in the middle of a happy group of kids.  When he sees Asher sitting by himself indoors the next day, though, Rumi tells the kids he wants to go inside.  The last page shows all the kids, including Asher, drawing together under the tree.  Includes an author’s note about her son’s experiences with bullying in kindergarten that inspired this book.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A moving story of how both a victim and a bystander use kindness to defuse a bullying situation, illustrated with Caldecott honoree LeUyen Pham’s bright, appealing pictures.

Cons:  There was a disturbing lack of adult supervision on the playground.