HUSH-A-BYE BUNNY

It’s that time of the day when Bunny must put all the toys away, eat a delicious dinner of carrots, radishes, and greens, have a bath, put on pajamas, and cuddle up with a loving adult rabbit while they read a book together.

The text is a loving, soothing four-line rhyme on every double-page spread, each one starting with the same first line: “Hush-a-bye, Bunny / my sweet sleepyhead. / Let’s eat up our dinner— / it’s soon time for bed.” The pastel illustrations show a charming little toddler Bunny wearing a striped green shirt playing with gender-neutral toys (stuffed animals, balls, coloring books) and then going through the usual evening routine up to donning a yellow polka-dot sleeper after the bath and listening to the older rabbit read a bunny mermaid book. However, when it’s time to get into bed and switch off the light, Bunny is not happy and gets tearful. The adult rabbit promises to “hug away worries / and kiss away tears,” which helps comfort Bunny into slumber. Back-of-the-book text refers to the adult rabbit, who wears a reddish-pink striped shirt, as Mommy Bunny, but the tender relationship they enjoy together is one that could exist between any loving adult and child.

Going through this everyday routine with Bunny may assist adults in putting their own little bunnies to bed.