Brown, Margaret Wise. The Runaway Bunny. New York City: Harper&Row Publishers Inc., 1942.
Summary:
In the book The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1942), a little bunny tells of the ways he will runaway from his mother. The little bunny explains different objects he will change into such as a bird, sailboat, trapeze artist, etc; in order to run away. His mother counters this by promising the little bunny the things she will change into such as a tree, the wind, etc; in order to follow and catch him no matter what. The story comes full circle when the little bunny says he will turn into a little boy and the mother bunny replies that she will be his mother and catch him in a hug.
Tattered Cover says:
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown is a simple book as far as words and patterns, but is very complex in portraying the strong ties between mother and child. It is an example of a mother's love and the extraordinary things a mother will do for her child. I think every child struggles with wanting to be independent, even from very young ages. However, in the heart of every child, the comfort of knowing Mom will be there for you is what gives them courage to venture out. Though young children may not understand the underlying message, I think they enjoy the patterns in the book are comforted by the love of the mother for her little bunny.
How to use this in the library:
In a library setting, this book would be good to tell younger kids and have them extend. They could write and draw other things the bunny and mother could change into and create a bulletin board with the pictures. Also students could act out the book with puppets that they have made of the characters and perform it on a parent's night.
Reviews:
