Common Sense Media Review
Enduring classic tots love to pat, scratch, and sniff.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In PAT THE BUNNY, siblings Paul and Judy perform activities, and young readers are encouraged to mimic their actions, happily exploring each page—touching, poking, and waving bye-bye.
Is It Any Good?
First published in 1940, this endearing book has become a beloved classic and is still a bestseller. The outstanding features in Pat the Bunny are those that allow kids to use their senses—feeling, seeing, touching, and smelling—as they interact with the book. The illustrations are simple black-line drawings with yellow, turquoise, and peach colors added; backgrounds are solid white or peach with a flower border. The effect is clean and uncluttered, making the activities the focus. The miniature book-within-a-book is charming and reinforces the value of reading. "Read it again!" was the reaction of one 3-year-old boy when he was introduced to this book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their senses and which ones they use reading Pat the Bunny. What do your ears, eyes, and nose do? What's the softest thing you can think of, and what's the scratchiest?
Describe the family in Pat the Bunny. How is it similar to or different from your own family?
The bunny in the book has soft fur. What other animals can you think of with soft fur?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Dorothy Kunhardt
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Golden Books
- Publication date : December 31, 1969
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 0 - 2
- Number of pages : 20
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate