Praise for Where's Bunny'
2022 CCBC Spring Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection
2019 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice
2018 Reading Rockets "Summer Reading Guide" selection
"[T]he children are being lovingly supervised, but the visual centering of the children allows for fluid reading of the text....[R]eaders may well see a newly literate older sibling reading aloud to a younger one-an empowering possibility....A nicely child-centered iteration on a common theme."—Kirkus Reviews
"[A] sweet story....By using a warm color palette without strong contrasts, the watercolor-and-digital art suggests coziness, happiness, and familial love....VERDICT A soothing bedtime story perfect for one-on-one sharing with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers alike."—School Library Journal
"Humor, helpfulness, and heart combine as Baby's big sister helps to see him - and, of course, his stuffed bunny - through the nighttime routine from bath to bed....Where's Bunny' will make bedtime a happy time for the whole family and is unreservedly recommended for daycare center and preschool collections."—Midwest Book Review
"Told with sparse language, Where's Bunny' will appeal to the very young. Its soothing pace makes it an ideal bedtime book....The illustrations are simple, interesting, and cheerful...Refreshing, too, is the depiction of children of colour. Young children are sure to be soothed by the content, pace, and illustration of Where's Bunny' Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine
“[T]he illustrations set the action right in front of viewers who will reach for the baby reaching up at them. Put this into use for nap times or to aid new parents in the midst of sleep training. A loving path to sleepytime, and ideal for board book collections that see wide circulation.”—School Library Journal
“This book allows readers to decide what a family should look like and offers a refreshingly positive BIPOC image. Younger children will be drawn to the big baby faces. Parents will appreciate the positive sibling relationship illustrated throughout this work.”—Canadian Children’s Book Centre
"Theo Heras makes her text simple and readable for those just learning to decipher books, and it is sweetly appropriate for a concept book about bedtime routines....Thankfully Theo Heras does more than just assert a concept. There is a story here, one of sibling affection and a young child's bond to his stuffed animal, that is elevated with Renné Benoit's artwork....Another invitation that is extended to readers comes by way of Pajama Press's unique picture book format for the very young...It has been a winner since its first use. More embraceable than the board books typical for the very young, these softly padded books make for a sweet tactile experience to reading."—CanLit for LittleCanadians
"This book is helpful with a bedtime checklist that could have parents of young children establishing their own bedtime routine."—Resource Links Magazine
"Bedtime books are a great way to introduce routine to children, and make getting ready for bed a pleasant time. The drawings here show happy and content children at each point in the routine to help with this message. I really think the drawings are so cute. I also liked that the book showed diversity without being about diversity. This book is a great choice for little ones."—Canadian Bookworm
“[B]oth funny and honest about friendships. With a clear focus on illustrating eye contact and facial expressions, Bird and Giraffe have an intensive friendship when it comes to communicating.”—Where The Board Books Are
Told with sparse language, Where's Bunny' will appeal to the very young. Its soothing pace makes it an ideal bedtime book....The illustrations are simple, interesting, and cheerful...Refreshing, too, is the depiction of children of colour. Young children are sure to be soothed by the content, pace, and illustration of Where's Bunny' Highly Recommended.
2018-02-04
The sibling pair that last made Baby Cakes (2017) now walk themselves through a bedtime routine.They pick up toys, bathe, brush their teeth, put on their "jammies," cuddle up "to hear a favorite story," exchange kisses, and go to sleep. As in the prior book, the pictures' focus is on the children, both brown-skinned and with straight, black hair. The brown-skinned adult hands that place the toddler in the bath and then lift the tot back out make it clear that the children are being lovingly supervised, but the visual centering of the children allows for fluid reading of the text. "Time for bed. Pick up toys and put them away," could be as easily interpreted as the older child's guidance as instructions from an unseen adult. Similarly, there is no adult in the frame as the children "hear" the story, so readers may well see a newly literate older sibling reading aloud to a younger one—an empowering possibility. The titular refrain, "Where's Bunny?" is introduced before the bath and then suspended till after. While this is logical (Bunny is a soft toy), it also adds unevenness to what should be a predictable textual element. A "bedtime checklist" on the front endpapers delineates all the steps, and a "clean teeth checklist" on the rear endpapers focuses on dental hygiene.A nicely child-centered iteration on a common theme. (Picture book. 2-5)
08/01/2021
Toddler-PreS—The opening lines—"Time for bed. Pick up toys and put them away. Where's Bunny?"—will connect readers to the doings of the small toddler and a slightly older sister, both with blushing brown skin, and so the hunt begins. Bath is next, as strong brown arms lower the small child into soapy water. The rituals are as soothing as the warm bath, as the children play with other toys, then are wrapped in soft robes, just as the bunny is restored to its rightful owner. The rhythm is soporific and restful as bedtime approaches. As board books go, this one better be water-resistant; the illustrations set the action right in front of viewers who will reach for the baby reaching up at them. Put this into use for nap times or to aid new parents in the midst of sleep training. VERDICT A loving path to sleepytime, and ideal for board book collections that see wide circulation.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal
