With vibrant watercolor illustrations and a simple, yet charming story, Brown Bunny’s Bird and Flower Book introduces young children to the beauty of the natural world.
A little brown bunny loves nothing more than munching on grass, looking at the surrounding colorful flowers, and talking to the birds. As the little brown bunny relaxes, different types of birds approach: “A little brown bunny sat in the green grass in front of a garden. A robin hopped along the grass, looking for worms. He stopped and asked, ‘What are you doing, little brown bunny?’” The little brown bunny always answers that he/she (the gender isn’t specified) is looking at a different type of colorful flower.
In this way, each bird is matched randomly with a flower— orange lilies with the robin, pink impatiens with the cardinal, purple petunias with the goldfinch, etc. By the end of the story, there are seven bird-flower pairings, and children learn the names of seven different bird and flower species.
The story’s language is simple and appealing, and new characters are introduced in a clear way that gently moves the story along. Much of the credit goes to the illustrations, which are drawn artfully yet accurately and are especially colorful and warm. They demand attention while simultaneously leaving enough room for a young reader’s imagination to roam free.
Some might object to the religious turn the story takes on the last page, with the little brown bunny thanking God for the natural world. Others might wish for more of a plot; this is a quiet story with little fanfare. In some ways, it’s a throwback to an earlier era in children’s books.
Overall, though, Brown Bunny’s Bird and Flower Book is a charming story, and—depending on your beliefs—a wonderful choice for many families.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
