LOVEY BUNNY

A winsome girl rabbit is her mother’s “lovey bunny,” but when she borrows her mother’s fancy dress with unfortunate results, she wonders if the affection from her mother is in jeopardy.

The story begins: “I’m such a lovey bunny! My Mama tells me so. I love just about everything!” Pencil-and-gouache drawings with digital color show a family of four rabbits looking dapper in human clothes. Lombardi chooses quick declarations, shown on slips of lined handwriting paper arranged scrapbook-style, to set the tone for the story. “I love my family. I love to sit and read. I love the SUN!” But what this little bunny really loves is to play dress-up. When she spies a beautiful, long, black dress her mother made, she decides to try it on. Lovey Bunny decides she looks too pretty to stay inside the house. Readers will either giggle or gasp as she rides her skateboard through her neighborhood. Soon the dress’ skirt is in shreds. When she returns home, her mother is at a loss: she was to wear that dress to a party that evening. Lovey Bunny is clearly upset with herself but soon gets to work to “repair” the dress. Using the materials available to her, she tapes the fabric together, glues on tinfoil “sequins,” and applies plastic patches. The ending satisfies by delivering an unexpected twist.

A great book to share with sensitive children concerned about the steadiness of parental love and a pleasant example of creative problem-solving.