Module 1- Runaway Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown

Brown, Margaret Wise. Runaway Bunny. New York: Harper & Row, 1942.

Summary

"I am running away." says little bunny to his mother. "If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my little bunny." responds his mother. For the rest of this picture book, the little bunny comes up with clever ways to escape from his mother such as becoming a tree or joining the circus and flying away on a flying trapeze. For every plan, however, the little bunny's mother comes up with a way to run after him. Eventually, the little bunny decides he should just stay home and be his mother's little bunny.

Impressions

When the mother rabbit responds to little bunny's attempts at running away from their home, she can always come up with the perfect plan to find her little bunny. Her tone is always very soothing and calm which sets the tone for the book. This story is all about how much a mother loves her children and that no matter how far the limits of her love may be tested, she will always find and love her "little bunny." This story teaches children there are no bounds to a parent's love for even after all the little bunny's elaborate schemes, he is still welcomed back with loving words and a carrot.

Reviews

The Runaway Bunny. (2010). Retrieved September 9, 2010, from Barnes & Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Runaway-Bunny/Margaret-Wise-Brown/e/9780061074295/?itm=1&USRI=runaway+bunny.

"Margaret Wise Brown's comforating and reassuring story about a little bunny and his loving mother has been a favorite for generations of children all over the world."

The Runaway Bunny. (2010). Retrieved September 9, 2010, from Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Bunny-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp/0061074292.

"Since its publication in 1942, The Runaway Bunny has never been out of print. Generations of sleepy children and grateful parents have loved the classics of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, including Goodnight Moon. The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away. . . And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure."

Suggestions for Library Use

This book should be acquired as both a picture book and a board book so both easy and beginning readers can enjoy it. It should be read by a parent to a child so the child can begin to understand the meaning of unconditional love.