Audrey Penn, the author of The Kissing Hand has also written a book call The Big Bad Bully.  It's a story of the forest animals and how they deal with a badger who is a bully.  Essentially the animals band together and confront the bully and thus change his mind and bring him over to their side.  Her illustrations are enticing.  Towards the end of the story the animals have gathered around the bully, backing him against a tree. The badger is surprised by their tenacity in confronting him and wide eyed he finds himself speechless as they animals gather their courage to tell him what's up.  

    Always trying to encourage my students to infer information based on what they know and what they can observe from an illustration, as I read that page I paused to ask them what they thought would happen next.  They thoughtfully observed the illustration of the wide eyed badger facing all the other animals of the forest. Clearly the balance of power was about to change. 

    One of my students, a tow headed, blue eyed, serious natured little guy raised his hand solemnly. 

    "Yes Johnny, what do you think the other animals will do now? "

    Very matter of factly- "They're going to kill him."  All his classmates nod in solemn agreement. This story will certainly end in a death.    

    I had to pause for a moment.  I could feel the sides of my cheeks tingling and the uncontrollable laughter building inside of me. I wasn't going to be able to hold it together.  Why would they assume that? Because children's books always end with a mob of angry animals tearing another from limb to limb in a desperate act of revenge?  So much for teaching to infer based on what we know.  

   As determined as I was to try and turn this into a learning experience I could feel myself losing control as the urge to laugh became stronger.  I held the book in front of my face trying to hide my expression if not my trembling shoulders.  An eternity of silence passed as Johnny sat with rapt attention, awaiting praise for so cleverly giving the right answer.  I composed myself enough to lower the book only to be met with those big serious blue eyes. That's when I lost it. Teaching moment gone, I gave way to uncontrollable laughter. One thing kids will always do is laugh with you even when they aren't sure why.  After wiping away some tears and composing myself I tried to get Johnny to understand why "killing him" wasn't the most likely way to end the story.  I'm not sure he or his classmates ever agreed with me but I know I can never read The Big Bad Bully again because I dissolve into laughter every time I get to that page.