Parents' Guide to

Emmaline and the Bunny

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Engaging bunny tale with clever wordplay, lovely artwork.

Book Katherine Hannigan Fantasy 2009
Emmaline and the Bunny Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

MamaRo
MamaRo Parent of 3 and 5-year-old
June 11, 2012
age 5+

Quirky, delightful, positive messages - a future classic!

This is a delightful book with full color pictures and valuable perspective on what's really important in life. It's the tale of a girl who must express herself and whose enthusiasm for life, love, and happiness just cannot be contained. There are threads of environmental consciousness, nurturing the self and others, individual expression, and advocacy for the kind of world we want to live in. The quirky language is charming and playful. If this book had been written when I was young, I feel like it would have settled itself into my heart as a child and that I would have read it over and over, getting more out of it as I grew older and understood more about the world and the story's interpretation of it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

Emmaline is very messy and noisy and wants a bunny more than anything else. Unfortunately for her, she lives in Neatasapin, a town with a pushy, mean mayor who thinks everything in life should be neat and tidy, even kids and bunnies. The mayor, Orson Oliphant, has pretty much banned every animal except for quiet, neat animals. There is one place, however, where animals run free. Can Emmaline find it, and if she does, will she ever come back to Neatasapin?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Author Katherine Hannigan has put together a wonderful, sweet, and engaging story in EMMALINE AND THE BUNNY. The fun wordplay makes this a natural read-aloud, and kids will be captivated by the beautiful watercolor pictures. Emmaline is a decent heroine, but she is almost upstaged by the quirky town of Neatasapin and its uptight mayor, Orson Oliphant. The lengths Orson goes through to keep the town and its inhabitants neat are truly giggle-worthy. From banishing animals to putting alarms on baby's diapers, no rule is too ridiculous for Orson.

Emmaline's quiet suffering to earn her bunny and her gentle determination to create a place for him in Neatasapin will tug at kids' heartstrings. Every child can identify with wanting something so badly -- a pet, a bicycle, etc. -- that he or she is willing to work as hard as possible to earn it. Audiences young and old will be cheering for Emmaline and the bunny's reunion.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the story's lesson. How did Emmaline earn her bunny? What does the story say about animals and people living together?

Book Details

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