BUNNS RABBIT

A young rabbit navigates the unknown to help her family.

Bunns was born into a loving rabbit family. Her ears are unusually short and rounded—and, as her father says, “We rabbits can be superstitious.” The warren’s elders indeed regard her short ears as a bad omen. In her first foray out of the burrow, Bunns follows a riddle-telling monarch butterfly to the edge of the Great Forest, where the Spirit Fox greets her. As a consequence, Bunns’ family is banished from the meadow. Bunns has a dream in which the Spirit Fox promises her a wish if she proves her courage by heading into the Great Forest alone before sunrise, so she sets off into the darkness. When daybreak comes, Bunns is beset by blue jays and befriended by a hummingbird and a loon. What began as a personal quest begins to seem like an allegory and a spiritual journey, complete with deception and redemption. Bunns undergoes several ordeals, including the loss of her gift of understanding other creatures’ heartsongs, before she willingly relinquishes her desire for sameness and belonging. Barillaro’s lovely, full-color, soft-focus illustrations effectively capture natural scenes, such as sunlight in a meadow and a herd of deer traversing a winter lake. Some segments, including stories told by the rabbits and birds, appear in comics format. Though the setup for the sequel pulls some power away from the conclusion, Bunns is an appealing hero, and her adventure is compelling.

Solid and visually engaging.