Our youngest readers are just learning to navigate social situations.  Early learners are still learning how to be social beings and how to act in different scenarios. I work at a preschool during the day and these three and four year olds are still learning to say things like “I’m playing with this car.” And “Don’t hit me!”. Often you will hear a child say someone is mean if they have stolen a toy from them. As adults, we know that each child is just learning and we all learn in our own time but for early learners it’s a difficult idea to grasp.

With her delightful book, What if Bunny’s Not a Bully? Lana Button so wonderfully illuminates this topic in the best way for our early learners to understand.  In rhyming lyrical text she takes us through the feelings of the friends when Bunny has been mean. She then poses questions like, “What if Bunny’s sorry?” And “What if Bunny’s sad?”  She teaches the reader about the power of apology and the kindness in forgiveness.

Our young readers need to understand that sometimes we make mistakes.  We can lose our temper and say or do mean things. If we apologize and try to make things better than we can all try again.

Christine Battuz has done brilliant work bringing Bunny’s story to life.  Her illustrations have a collage quality with all of the colours, inviting the reader to sit down and enjoy. What if Bunny’s Not a Bully? Would make a fantastic read aloud and a great conversation starter.

The Bee has already claimed this book for her shelf.  She’s a lover of bunnies and a lover of a great rhyming story so it’s right up her alley.