Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan

2009

J Fiction
94 pages with illustrations

Here's the second children's novel by Katherine Hannigan, her first being Ida B. If you liked Ida B., you'll like Emmaline. It's a sweet, gentle story of a girl, Emmaline, who lives in a town where only "tidiness" is accepted. She wants a bunny, but bunnies don't exactly fit in a place where everyone and everything is expected to stay TIDY. With quiet determination, and the hesitant support of her parents, Emmaline finds a way to get her bunny.

There are some inferred themes within this story that children will probably miss. Take care of the earth and tolerance of others are the main two. Hannigan's prose-like text is light and fluffly, like a bunny's tail. The 94 pages are fast reading and the watercolor illustrations are beautiful. This book is on some Newbery possibilities lists. Not mine. It's well written, but it's not a "fill-you-up" kind of story. There's not much character development. But it's OK, so read it in between your other must-reads.

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