Morgan, M. (2006). Dear Bunny. United Kingdom: The Chicken House.
ISBN 043974833X
This is a sweet and kind bunny love story. The two shy bunnies live across the hill from one other and wish to meet so they decide to write a letter to each other and put it in the hollow log for the other one to find; eagerly they await the others reply. One bunny even adds some leaves and petals for the other bunny to munch on. Meanwhile the weather turns to rain and a family of mice are getting very wet in their nest so they go looking for a warm, dry place to rest. They come across the hollow log and discover it is the perfect place to make a cozy new shelter. They tear and chomp the letters as well as use the leaves and petals to make a delightful nest. When the rain finally stops the two bunnies are saddened to find no reply to their letters in the hollow log. The mice realize they have torn up the letters to make their nest and decide to solve the problem by pieces together one final message for the bunnies. When the two bunnies read the message they are full of joy and love for each other and a somewhat difficult situation is pleasantly resolved.
I want to share this book with 3-5 year olds because I find it warm and inviting. When I opened the front cover I found an exquisite page of what looks like handmade paper infused with natural plants and fibres. It reminded me of how much I love the feel and beauty of handmade paper. The ink colours throughout the book are gentle but vibrant with depth added to the images through shadows and “textures”. The book has a scrap book effect created from small cut out pieces of plants and flowers pasted about. The illustrator has outlined her cartoon style drawings in black pen and created adorable animal characters with faces that express a variety of feelings and emotions that children can readily relate to within their own friendships and relationships. The author uses a simple yet descriptive style of writing including making some words come to life such as the sound of the rain and keeps the story at a length children can fully engage. I appreciate that the story presents children with the rich language of kindness and love in an accessible tale (no pun intended) as they connect parallels to their natural environment through elements of weather, seasons and the animals that call it home.
To provoke interest around the story I would wear my regular clothing but also wear bunny ears. Appealing to their sense of wonder, the children would notice the change in my usual appearance and question as to why I am dressed up like a bunny. I would also do some bunny things like hop to the book shelf or eat a carrot at snack to get them thinking like bunnies and raise their interest. I may even write a letter.
Ways of presenting the book:
1. Clay story-I would have plain clay already split into pieces roughly the size for each object needed to create throughout the story and place them around the table. I would then begin to tell the story at the same time shaping the clay into the characters and objects. These clay images would be created in a very simplistic and representational way and would act out the story. In this way each time the story was done the objects would look somewhat unique and it would be fun to have the children give ideas as to how they could look. The clay can be purchased from Opus Art Supplies.
2. Paint a story-I would have an easel and enough large pieces of paper to flip for each scene (about 15). I would use large bull clips at the top to secure the papers but still be able to flip them up and over the top after painting each scene. I would need colours of paint ready and mixed in clear jars (light grey, green, purple, brown, dark grey, blue, pink, yellow, and black) and various sized paint brushes. I would paint very simple images to represent each scene in the story as I tell it and then flip the paper to start the next one. The easel can be purchased from Ikea, the bull clips from Staples and the other craft items can be purchased from Michaels.
3. Shadow box story-I would create a shadow box with a cardboard box and parchment paper and then create the silhouettes of the characters and objects in construction paper covered with mactac paper and attach them to skewers. I would darken the room and have a lamp shining from behind to illuminate the screen as I performed the story. The craft items can be purchased from Michaels, the parchment paper and cardboard box from a grocery store and a lamp from Canadian Tire.
4. Visual acting-I would collect all the props to tell the story (2 stuffed animal bunnies, 3 small pieces of paper, 2 feathers for pens, a hollow birch bark log, fake and real flower petals, fake and real leaves, 5 cat toy mice, a rainstick for the rain sounds, a little nest made of raffia and moss. The craft items and bunnies can be purchased from Michaels, the hollow birch bark log, real flower petals and real leaves I collected from the forest, the rainstick I made in class and the mice from a pet store,
5. Audio recorded-I would have a couple of people use animated voices to read as a character from the book and play various recorded sounds such as rain, mice squeaking, etc. while I recorded it. I would then burn it onto a CD to play for the children either just for listening or even along with turning the pages of the book. The sounds can be purchased from itunes and the CD and recorder from Staples.
6. Interactive drama and self watching-I would have 2 sets of bunny ears, 2 feathers, 3 large pieces of paper, 2 feathers for pens, a play tunnel for a hollow log, fake flower petals, fake leaves, about 3 sets of mouse ears (adapted from bunny ears), rainstick for the rain sounds, a cardboard box for a nest. Then video them performing the story so they can experience the acting out and then watch themselves doing it on the video. The craft items can be purchased from Michaels, the bunny ears from a dollar store near Easter time, I made the rainstick in class, Ikea for the play tunnel and Future shop for a box and camera to video.
During the reading of the story I would stop when the mice are trying to find a new shelter to keep them dry and wonder where a mouse might find shelter. This way the children could imagine being a mouse and think of places they might hide. I would again stop and wonder when the mice realize they have torn up the letters and the bunnies are very sad. This way the children can think of some solutions to the problem and empathize with their emotions. I wonder what they are going to do? I would not chunk this book because it is not very long and there isn’t really an appropriate place to stop as it would be too close to the end of the story.
Expanding from the story:
1. Making paper – Inspired by the background illustration from the story as well as the process of writing letters on paper. Making paper is a very interesting and easy method. First collect scraps of paper from the recycling, etc and have the children rip it into small pieces. Add warm water to a large rectangular tub and add the torn paper. The children will really enjoy mashing and squishing the paper until it is all soft and mixed together. Next use window screens or paper making screens and dip them under the floating mush, then pull up and let the water drip through the mesh until you are left with a thin layer of the mixture covering the screen and put the screen on top of a towel near heat or in the sunshine to dry. They will have to dry overnight. The next day peel the newly made paper of the mesh and use to make books or letters. The children will learn about recycled paper and have hands on experience.
2. Investigating mice and where they live - How do they stay dry and what do they use to make their nests? Watch short video clip of a real mouse snoring. Have books about real mice and their lives available around the classroom. Take a nature walk outside to areas where mice live and take pictures of what we think would make a good nest. The children can imagine they are little mice getting curled up in their warm, cosy, nests for nap time while playing some gentle rain sounds.
3. Real animal discovery - Take the children to the petting zoo to feel bunnies, listen to their sounds and see them hop or have a pet mouse in the classroom.
Dear bunny on PhotoPeach
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