Rascally Rabbits

I think I do a rabbit-themed storytime every spring. There are just SO. MANY. BOOKS. published about rabbits and bunnies that it makes putting together a storytime extremely easy ... or difficult, depending on how many good titles you are able to pull together.


In my case, I left off a few of my favorites since I wanted to focus more on RABBITS as ANIMALS (not cute little stuffed animal type creatures) and since I had just presented a spring-themed storytime. Here are the titles I ended up sharing at storytime :

I adore this book ... and am very sad that it is no longer in print. I also use this book for any gardening or vegetable themed storytime.

Another out of print title ... this is a nice book for dialogic reading as the text invites children to supply the noises that the rabbit starring in this book either hears or makes himself.

This gem by Lidnsay Barrett George is another favorite of mine. I love using it for the gentle and subtle text on care of wildlife, the fantastic double-paged illustrations, and most of all the casual diversity with the Latino boy who stars in this book about a boy and his imaginary pet rabbit.

This book is a HOOT. So much fun to read (although I almost always trash my voice with the monster screaming "BUNNIES BUNNIES BUNNIES BUNNIES!!!!"). This book is very dependent on the reader, however - that's what makes this book come alive, so be prepared to put on your game face!

From a few years ago I brought out my handmade bunny finger puppets and did my "Five Little Rabbits" song to the tune of "Five Little Ducks". I had the kids keep track of the colors as the rabbits disappeared so they could tell me which rabbit had run away.

Five little rabbits one fine day
Hopped to the carrot patch far away

Mama Rabbit called them "thump! thump! thump!"
(stomp foot on the ground)
But only four came back to her stump.

Of course at the end all five rabbits come back to Mama Rabbit.

I adapted Miss Tracey's fingerplay "Five Little Stawberries" into a flannel-puppet rhyme. I love using my puppets actively to remove things from the flannelboard, and today I even had a few kids comment that "hey! that rabbit is taking away the strawberries!" Mission accomplished.

Five little strawberries

growing in a patch

Along came a rabbit

with a snatch, snatch, snatch!

He ate one strawberry

Then looked around ...

And hopped away without a sound.

My grand finale for this storytime was sort of silly ... but fun.

I "performed" (encouraged participation, but it never always works out that way) the rhyming chant "Little Bunny Foo Foo". My rabbit came out, I incorporated a mouse finger puppet, and wore a glittery tiara with a sparkly wand as I played the role of the good fairy.

At the end I had an activity sheet for families to take home if they wanted to sing/chant the rhyme at home themselves ... with fingerpuppet props.

for at home use only