A FLUFFLE OF BUNNIES

While we wait for bunnies to appear, some unusual collective nouns hop past.

As in her earlier book, A Mischief of Mice (2024), many of Matheson’s group labels are lesser known: “a charm of goldfinches,” “a bale of turtles,” “a parcel of deer,” “a kaleidoscope of butterflies,” and “a banditry of chickadees.” These fascinating collectives are naturally integrated into a sweet story. When a rabbit goes missing, the friendly local animals—among them “a scurry of squirrels,” “an army of frogs,” “a loveliness of ladybugs”—express concern. A sleuth of wise bears finally arrive with an explanation: She might be “busy feeding someone, deep in that cozy nest.” And right on cue, the mother rabbit arrives, “leading a fluffle of bunnies.” The writing, in large type and a readable font, is clear and poetic, with rhyming text but no rigid meter. The rhymes are sometimes slant or near: for instance, shifty matched with swiftly. Matheson’s pastel watercolors are perfectly suited to her gentle text. Set against flat, wallpaperlike florals, the fauna are mostly realistic, though sometimes they stand upright and strike human poses. Backmatter includes facts about the animals and notes a few additional nouns; for instance, deer collectively can be called by the more common herd, butterflies are also a swarm or flutter, and swans are also a bevy, a wedge (when in flight), and a bank (on land).

A delightful tale to extend a budding logophile’s lexicon and a young naturalist’s knowledge.