Bunny Hop

October 1, 2024
A hungry bunny has a feast in a picture book that can also function as an early reader. The titular Bunny is a cute, pink little chunk of a critter, barely more than a rounded rectangle with ears, limbs, and an expressive face rendered in dots and lines. The visual effect is rather porcine, which ends up making sense because this rabbit's zeal for trying new foods is downright piggish. The spareness of Bunny's form is matched by the controlled text, which will invite new readers to sound out brief phrases as the "Hungry Bunny" performs a "Bunny hop" through an open kitchen window, upending a grocery bag filled with foods for the taking. Bunny eats through all manner of victuals, with adjectives likesour, bitter, sweet, andsticky describing foods such as beets, strawberries, bubble gum, and pizza, all depicted in the brightly colored illustrations but unnamed in the text. After several more spreads comically showing Bunny trying many other kinds of food and drink, the protagonist's overindulgence culminates in a closing spread that reads "Bathroom Bunny!" as the gluttonous creature makes a beeline for the toilet. Silly fun for new readers, with an abundance of adjectives to stretch their decoding skills.(Picture book/early reader. 2-6)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 1 Bunny hops through a window and into a kitchen on a quest for a delicious meal. As the mischievous pink rabbit works through an array of delectable foods--celery, chips, chocolate, honey, pizza, and more--Bunny slurps, crunches, munches, hops, and chews through every snack that comes their way. After eating and drinking, Bunny takes a nap and then visits a specific place, ending the story with a humorous punchline. Each page pairs a colorful image of Bunny's eating escapade with a short phrase, from pizza (""Cheesy Bunny!"") to cotton candy (""Fluffy Bunny!""). The artwork not only adds visual appeal but also helps young children understand the rich adjectives and expressive verbs used in the story, making it an effective tool for language learning. The fun, simple text and plot combine to make this a valuable choice for its educational context. An entertaining, adorable story and a valuable addition to any beginning-reader bookshelf.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 10, 2025

Toddler-PreS-Hwang's Bunny is back. Bunny is hungry and discovers a grocery bag. Bunny tips it over and tries all of the foods inside. By the end, Bunny is full and tired, and then needs to use the bathroom. Each page has a maximum of two words, and the repetitive nature makes it an easy story for emerging readers to memorize and read on their own. There is also a great use of vocabulary throughout, as the word bunny is preceded by many different adjectives, such as "Bitter Bunny!" and "Sour Bunny!" Artwork is simple and engaging, just like the text. The bunny is simply drawn, but that only makes it more endearing. Bunny's facial expressions are adorable and help readers understand what is happening with the words. The simplicity of the pictures and the story makes it enjoyable for even a reader's earliest exposure to books. VERDICT A fun, engaging read that is appropriate for all ages but would especially fit in the early reader section of any library.-Sara Collins

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.