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BUNNIES TO THE RESCUE!

Name: BUNNIES TO THE RESCUE!
Author: Jeff Verney

by Jeff Verney ; illustrated by Melissa Bailey ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

An energetic tale about fluffy friends that prioritizes adventure over nuance.

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Verney’s illustrated children’s book features a trio of bunnies trying to save one of their own.

The story opens on Children’s Beach on Nantucket, where a bunny, Briella, reports to her friends Bryson and Bennett that a little boy has captured another bunny. Determined to rescue the hostage, they track down the boy and the bunny at the ice cream store. Bryson notices that it looks “a bit floppy,” not realizing that it is a stuffed animal. Relying on the Bunny Network, which has members “hopping this way and that” across Nantucket, the bunnies follow the boy and his family all over the island. They worry about the bunny’s safety as the boy takes him everywhere from Maria Mitchell Aquarium and Surfside Beach to the Whaling Museum and the Brant Point Lighthouse, but they are unable to rescue him. Finally, as the family photographs boats on Nantucket Harbor, Briella has a chance to talk to the bunny. The “captive” shares his name (Barley) and tells her that he doesn’t need to be rescued because his human friend Sam takes good care of him. Briella counters that Sam is different from Barley, but Barley insists, “Just because he’s different doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” The bunnies realize Barley doesn’t need saving after all and say goodbye. Verney ably captures the curiosity and determination of his protagonists in this lively, fast-paced children’s story. The narrative balances dialogue and prose descriptions deftly. Bailey’s soft illustration style uses warm tones to evoke the coastal charm of Nantucket (the book also introduces readers to real-life Nantucket destinations). The bunnies’ big eyes, expressive faces, and constantly bounding bodies acutely convey the emotions they experience during their rescue mission. However, the plot leans heavily on repetition; younger children may appreciate the structure, but older readers could lose interest. While the book’s messages about friendship and embracing differences are important, they take a backseat to the bunnies’ chase.

An energetic tale about fluffy friends that prioritizes adventure over nuance.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: April 9, 2025

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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SPOOKY POOKIE

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2015

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.

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One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.

It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)