A Bevy of Bunnies
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Related TeachingBooks.net resources >>> Watch Kevin Henkes in his studio as he describes how he created Little White Rabbit By Joy Fleishhacker, Curriculum Connections--School Library Journal Effervescent artwork and a bouquet of cheery springtime colors make these enchanting rabbit tales just right for sharing aloud with younger elementary students. These picture books feature an assortment of endearing long-eared protagonists who embark on whimsical adventures, explore the world around them, and revel in the comforting reassurance of family and friends. Told with an appealing mix of realism and fantasy, these offerings can be used to supplement studies of real-life rabbits, encourage journeys of the imagination, and bid welcome to an eagerly awaited spring. Dazzling spreads in luscious colors show the protagonist interacting with the highlighted creatures against crisp, wintery backdrops. When the snow melts and the trees begin to bloom, "...everyone knows it's spring!/Including the rabbit," who now poses near an array of just-blossomed flowers, showing off a new reddish-brown coat and a sun-warmed smile. The simple text is greatly extended through the descriptive artwork, awash in eye-pleasing textures, striking geometric patterns, lacey overlays, and densely layered colors. Lighthearted details (a daintily rendered snow bunny) and humorous touches (the rabbit trying to mimic the slit-eyed expression of an alligator) will encourage repeated readings. Use this book to welcome spring, launch a discussion of animal behaviors, and promote outdoor explorations. Filled with careful detail, evocative textures, and earthy tones, Wendell Minor's realistic-looking paintings provide close-up views of these and other small critters set against clean white backdrops or verdant outdoor scenes. The unexpected blend of fanciful text and nature-inspired artwork makes this engaging read-aloud all the more appealing. Never fear, resourceful Bear is always ready to lend a hand and repeatedly comes up with a clever—and giggle-inducing—way to solve the problem. He places the muddy bunnies in a washing machine (on delicate of course) and hangs them up to line dry, uses a fan to blow away vacuum dust, and gently stitches on tails with a sewing machine. Filled with charmingly quirky touches—quilt-like rolling hills, trees decorated in pastel plaids, stylized mechanical contraptions—the artwork adds much detail and humor to the straightforward narrative and sets a fittingly capricious mood. Share these stories with a class to discuss the book's fantasy elements and encourage students to come up with silly scenarios and save-the-day solutions of their own. As the affable rabbit looks on, each animal gazes into the suitcase, and it's clear by the expression on the critter's face that its desire has been gloriously realized. A turn of the page lets readers in on the fun by presenting a colorful image of the wish come true, a fully fleshed-out and exuberantly imagined scene that floats out of the suitcase and expands to fill a wordless spread. The dog perches atop a birthday cake made from bones, surrounded by gifts waiting to be opened; the toucan soars across a jungle vista bursting with tropical flora and fauna; the mouse munches on a yummy wedge while lording it over a town totally made from cheese. In the end the rabbit wonders, "Is there anything for me in my suitcase?" His generosity is rewarded as his friends appear, bearing their treasures, and present him with a delectable treat (a giant red beet). Ruzzier's sprightly watercolors reveal a cast of characters with expressive features and a dreamy setting perfectly suited to the tale's tone of wish-fulfillment and wonder. Use the book's chant-along refrain as the basis for creative writing or art projects, and have your students share their true heart's desire. Bedtime Bunnies (Watson) Snugly wrapped in gentle reassurance and parental affection, two bedtime tales can inspire discussion of family themes and going-to-sleep rituals. In Wendy Watson's Bedtime Bunnies (Clarion, 2010; PreS-Gr 1), five colorfully clad siblings are called into their hollow tree-trunk home by their mother and father. The tykes share a meal, brush teeth and bathe, don pajamas, listen to a story, and eventually settle down for the night. The tale is told through soft-edged, autumn-hued illustrations with the action highlighted by four onomatopoeic words per spread ("Squirt/Scrub/Splutter/Spit" or "Pop/Zip/Button/Snap"). With fuzzy black-and-white fur and touched-with-pink ears, the critters are irresistibly cuddly looking, and a gentle snowfall adds to the mood of quiet coziness. Finally nestled in their comfortable bed, the seven siblings are kissed by Mama and sung to by Papa, before closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep. Julie Stiegemeyer's rhyming couplets and Laura J. Bryant's warmhearted watercolors strike a sweetly tender tone. Varying from flashes of bustling activity to the refrain's demand for sudden stillness, this book would be a fun choice for acting out in the classroom, as well as for practicing counting skills. Related TeachingBooks.net resources >>> This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter Curriculum Connections. Subscribe here.
Little White Rabbit (Greenwillow, 2011; PreS-Gr 1) sets out to investigate a countryside warmed by newly sprouted leaves and pastel blossoms. Everything seems fresh and inviting, and the bunny finds himself filled with curiosity. Hopping through the high grass, he wonders "what it would be like to be green." His musings are revealed in a wordless spread that shows the critter—his white fur now resplendent in softly textured shades of olive and emerald-gazing at a green-filled landscape inhabited by a turtle, a frog, and several similarly hued insects. He also ponders what it would be like to be as tall as a fir tree, as motionless as a rock, and as fluttery as a flock of butterflies.
Each envisioned scenario is depicted with a vivacious sense of whimsy and wonder. After a frightening encounter with a cat sends the rabbit scurrying to the safety of home, he settles in for the night, secure in his family's affections, but with an inquisitive eye open toward his next adventure. Kevin Henkes's protagonist displays a child's innate curiosity about the world around him and illustrates the powerful role imagination can play in interacting with one's environment. Filled with motion and color, the vibrant artwork depicts both the realities of the rabbit's home and his delightful flights of fancy.The title character in Il Sung Na's lovely Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons (Knopf, 2011; PreS-Gr 2) is also a keen observer of nature. Wandering the wintery landscape, the white-coated bunny surveys the behaviors of various animals: "Some fly away from the cold" (a flock of geese wings its way toward the setting sun); "Some have a long, cozy sleep where they live" (a polar bear and her cubs nestle together in a cave); "...some stay in the snow" (sheep kept warm by their thick, woolly coats); and more.
Originally published in 1959, Margaret Wise Brown's Nibble Nibble (HarperCollins, 2007; PreS-Gr 1) presents five simple poems that celebrate the playful nature of bunnies. In these offerings, rabbits cavort ("Bunnies zip/And bunnies zoom"); turn tail at a potential conflict with a fox ("Hop Skip Jump/A rabbit won't fight./Hop Skip Jump/A rabbit won't bite./Hop Skip Jump/A rabbit runs light./Hop Skip Jump/He's out of sight"); welcome summer ("Here comes a bunny/The first to stray/Out of April/And into May"); and engage in other adventures.
Popsicle hues and an imagination-stretching sense of anything goes invite youngsters to jump right into Tao Nyeu's Bunny Days (Dial, 2010; PreS-Gr 2). Three simple stories, appropriate for beginning readers as well as for sharing aloud, detail the mishaps of six sweet-faced bunnies as they face a passel of unexpected troubles: Mr. Goat accidentally splatters the rabbits with mud while driving his tractor; Mrs. Goat obliviously vacuums them out of their underground burrow while doing her chores; and Mr. Goat returns to absent-mindedly clip off several camouflaged cotton tails while tending his garden.
Sergio Ruzzier's HEY, Rabbit! (Roaring Brook, 2010; PreS-Gr 2) combines the enticing magic of imagination, the satisfying contentment of having a wish come true, and the true-to-life power of friendship. Lugging around a battered blue valise, the smiling, scruffy title character is repeatedly asked by his pals, "HEY, Rabbit! Is there anything for me in your suitcase?" A dog hopes for "a bone for my birthday," a toucan dreams of a leaf "to remind me of home," a mouse longs for "a piece of cheese for my empty belly," and more.
© 2010 by Wendy WatsonAfter romping across a much more spring-like setting, Seven Little Bunnies (Marshall Cavendish, 2010; PreS-Gr 1) come indoors to begin their evening preparations. Though their parents are ready to tuck them into bed, "Giggling bunnies hop away./Seven bunnies want to play." One by one, each youngster engages in a wakeful activity—thumping on a drum, dancing and twirling, bouncing a basketball—until he or she eventually succumbs to sleepy-time urges with the same repeated refrain: "Cozy,/dozy,/drowsy.../drop."
Watch Kevin Henkes in his studio as he describes how he created Little White Rabbit
