BOOKS

Bunnybear

by Andrea J. LONEY

illus. by Carmen Saldaña. 32p. Albert Whitman. Jan. 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780807509388.

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PreS-Gr 2—Bunnybear may have been born in the shape of a bear, but he knows what he really is: a cute, fluffy, hopping bunny. He likes to sniff the air like a bunny, and he loves the way bunnies whisper and giggle… until they giggle at him. Bunnybear feels perplexed by their dismissal of his bunnyness, until he finds a bunny who is as "burly and loud" as Bunnybear is bouncy, fluffy, and tiny inside. Together, Grizzlybun and Bunnybear inspire the other animals of the forest to discover their true inner animals. Painted in natural hues in their natural habitats, the animals' faces and postures express their strong individual personalities without completely anthropomorphizing them.

VERDICT An engaging read suitable for one-on-one and small group sharing. Bunnybear will be sure to endear himself to children, and teachers and parents will appreciate the sensitivity with which the book expresses the discord between internal and external identity to young readers.

Reviewed by Anna Stover, Poughkeepsie Day School, NY

Loney touches on identity and an outsider's emotions in this moving story about a bear who feels like a bunny but isn't accepted by either species. Life improves when Bunnybear befriends Grizzlybun, a rabbit who identifies as a bear; the other animals (rather abruptly) come around at a book's-end party. Pleasing, earth-toned illustrations feature simple animal shapes and varied textures.

, Mar 01, 2017

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