"BUNBUN, THE MIDDLE ONE"

In this spare picture book, Bunbun resides happily between younger sister Bibi and older brother Benny. Bunbun knows he is something special. Bunbun is, after all, the loudest, the dirtiest, and the hungriest bunny in his family. Being the most exuberant at some things, Bunbun still occasionally gets things muddled. Sometimes even Bunbun gets his shoes on the wrong feet or coat inside out. But that's about it. This story is too lean to draw any real picture of the middle child's experience, as the title would seem to promise. Young readers might, however, benefit by identifying with Bunbun's awkwardness and finding pride in what they can do. With McCullough's bright crayon pastels, no-frills art, and simple text, this story would make a great board book. (Picture book. 2-5)