Rabbit Season

Hop on over for some toddler-pleasing books featuring a variety of rascally rabbits.

Yes, So Happy!has a cute little rabbit in it.  As I was reading it, I imagined the variety of storytimes in which this terrific book could be used; a multicultural storytime, a weather storytime, a “books about moms” storytime, a flowers and garden themed storytime….many possibilities! Boredom and curiosity force a young boy and a young rabbit to find something to do.  The young rabbit lets his curiosity get out of hand, and he ends up lost.  Suddenly, the skies open and the rain pours down.  The young boy, energized by the rainstorms, rushes out into the rain.  He sees the rabbit, which is unable to cross the swollen creek.  The young boy builds a bridge for the surprised rabbit, which hops home to its family. 

Meanwhile, a water-starved seed is sprouting.  While all this action is going on, the seed grows buds and leaves, then blossoms into a beautiful flower. 

This very simple story is beautifully illustrated by Anita Lobel, who invokes the brilliant colors of Central American (I’m guessing) art and landscape.  This is a quiet story, but it held the attention of everyone in my toddler group.

I am a fan of Kane/Miller books, and While We Were Out is no exception.  A family neglects to lock the apartment door, which provides ample opportunity for a rabbit to sneak in and cause some major mischief while they are away.  This little rabbit enjoys a meal at the family table, catches a movie, discovers new uses for chopsticks, looks at books, among a multitude of tasks.  After such a busy day, it’s time for a good night’s rest.  The following morning, rabbit scurries off before the family returns, satisfied that they won’t suspect a thing (actually, as the next illustrations show, they might wonder….and be a little grossed out).  This amusing story from South Korea is definitely one to consider if you are faced with an abundance of too-cute bunnies.

Have I posted about The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds? It’s very possible, since it was one of my favorite picture books of 2007.  While it is a story that centers around bedtime, it is a tad more exciting than your everyday bedtime story.  These three small bunnies are absolutely not ready for bedtime.  Oh, no! They’d rather play with their trains, play cowboys, march along with their musical instruments, and generally do anything but go to sleep.  Just when Mama and Daddy think all is calm and peaceful, earth-shattering noises break the peace.  Mama and Daddy admonish the bunnies very calmly at first, but eventually their patience wears a little thin!  This is a fun book to share with storytime groups, but the small jokes in the illustration are unfortunately lost (Dad’s sports page reads “5k Upset! Tortoise Beats Hare!” and another illustration show the parents enjoying carrot cake).  Last year, one of our young patrons enjoyed the book so much that his mother eventually bought him his own copy after multiple checkouts.  What more praise do you need?

When I announced the title of this final book in storytime, I think a few parents thought this would along the lines of Beatrix Potter’s Farmer McGregor.  No rabbits were harmed in the writing of Rabbit Pie.  Instead, it’s a very short story of a patient mama rabbit bathing and feeding her active brood.  The illustrations are large and in soft colors; each page contains one sentence (approximately).  This and So Happy! balance the longer stories of The Bunnies Are Not in Their Bed and While We Were Out.

Books Mentioned:

Henkes, Kevin.  So Happy!  New York: Greenwillow Books, 2005.

Ives, Penny.  Rabbit Pie.  New York: Viking, 2006.

Lee, Ho Baek.  While We Were Out.  La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller, 2003.

Russo, Marisabina.  The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds.  New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007.

Did I miss your favorite rabbit reads?