THAT'S NOT FUNNY, BUNNY!

Another story of being happy with who you are, in bunny form.

“Bunny just wanted to be different. He was always dressing up in silly clothes, trying to impress his friends.” But it’s not so easy. When he twirls like a ballerina, his animal friends tell him, “That’s not funny, Bunny.” He tries wearing “silly hats and funny wigs,” dressing up as the sun and moon, a bear—even a strawberry cupcake, “his favourite treat.” Sadly, none of his efforts dazzle his friends, but when they see how sad Bunny is, they reassure him. Fox tells him he loves his velvety ears; Cat loves his fluffy tail; and Deer loves his big heart. The soft, pastel illustrations of mixed media rescue this pale tale, which never plumbs exactly why Bunny feels inadequate. In Bunny’s first appearance, he wears a striped bow tie, cabled sweater, and green-framed glasses, and his other costumes are mildly amusing. There is one off detail readers will notice: there is a fourth friend, an owl, who appears in every scene but is never mentioned, which is odd.

The message of being one’s self, featuring animals in place of children, is not new, and while the images are sweet, this variant is a bit ho-hum and, like its protagonist, not terribly funny.