An energetic tale about fluffy friends that prioritizes adventure over nuance.
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
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
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
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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