The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
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Book Reviews of The Runaway Bunny
Book Review: A story every child deserves to be told, with wonderful images, and in perfect size
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book for my son when he just over a year old. I read to him ever since he was born, and he loves books.
This book is a good size for small hands, and very resistant for toddlers due to the cardboard pages. I was always able to let him hold it because of that, without having to tell him to be careful with it. And because of the beautiful and colorful pictures that the book has on every other page, he has always been inclined to take the book himself.
The story itself is beautiful. It speaks of a little bunny at a "silly" age, where he tells his mother all the things he will do to get away from her. The mother answers each of these "ideas" to run away, lovingly and patiently, telling him HOW she will always run after him, no matter what. The last idea that the bunny has "gets him caught", and he then gives up the thought of running away. The mother's reaction to this is to warmly welcome him back with a homely gesture that is to give him a snack.
My son was first drawn to the book by the pictures and the rhythm of the words... and well, he has always loved the "bunny" and "mommy" voices that one can make while reading it aloud. But now that he is almost three, he tells ME the whole story, and starts to giggle when we get to the page where the bunny gets caught. He loves it when I hold him in my arms and start tickling and kissing him at that point.
This is definitely his favorite bedtime book.
It's a book that has helped strengthen the mother-son bond in my family. It also teaches both mommy and son, if you read between the lines: unconditional love and patience.
I already have my older son's copy, but when I have my second son/daughter, I will get him/her a copy of their own. It's a book that belongs on a night table, and that every child deserves to listen to.
Book Review: Do We Have "Issues" ...
Summary: 5 Stars
... with parenting (and childing) in this Grand Old Republic? You betcha we do! But the last place I expected to find another front in the culture wars was in a review of this 'classic' of little-kids' literature.
I haven't opened this book for fifteen or sixteen years, not since I read it to my son as often as he asked for it, i.e. eight-gazillion times. But I remember it fondly. It depicts a teasing game between a mother and a child, just the sort of teasing game that my son often played with me and his mother, not even a testing game really because his and our security in each other was too strong to need testing. The little bunny's challenge to his mother, that he will run away and change his identity, is obviously a request for her commitment to expand her affection and support as he begins to sense the approach of growing-up and actually going forth. She responds just as he hopes (and knows) she will.
Another reviewer, my amazon friend in the Ozarks, suggested that I look at the one-star reviews of this book, of which there are a dismaying number. I have looked, and I'm both flabbered and gasted. Some of the 0ne-Starsers are obviously such poor literal readers, as well as being picture illiterate, that they simply don't understand the affect of the story. Or else they're been discouraged somehow from ever 'reading between the lines'. Some of them are plainly ideology-poisoned, even when reading a children's book. What they miss is that the little bunny feels so secure in his Mother's Love that he can tease her and feel even more secure when she assures him that her love can reach anywhere and even forgive a little abandonment, that synonym for "growing up."
Book Review: That's what parents are for
Summary: 5 Stars
All my sons are grown now, and I have 4 grand-children with one on the way. I never imagined how this story line could be interpreted as 'creepy' or 'controlling'. My husband died when my children were all pre-schoolers, and I found this book to have a comforting message. If you've ever seen children cry when separated from a parent on the first day of school, or heard a child scream in the night from a scary dream, you should understand this calming story indicates that a parent's love is ongoing wherever the child may be. I feel that the mother's desire is to keep her little one safe, not squash his unique abilities or his quest for autonomy. As far as the wind analogy is concerned, who would let a child walk into traffic or jump out of a window? Her ability to guide her child to safety and eventually to adult-hood seems evident here - that's what parents are for. My sons all have advanced degrees and are employed, so I don't think this story impacted them in any negative way; in fact, they all live far away and I haven't made any attempts to reset their sails in my direction - but they know they can come home anytime they want and I visit them as often as my job allows. I think some of the negative reviews are from people who have had poor social and familial relationships or who have never been a parent themselves - I hope that new mom who returned the book has the perfect child and never gets talked back to and never has anyone threaten to run away; then she won't have to endure the scenerios depicted in this book and her child can grow up unrestrained and self-disciplined.Book Review: Wherever you go, you're mother will follow...
Summary: 5 Stars
I kind of all sorts of adore this little book. Yeah, I know...I'm the father and this is totally a mother/child book, but my daughter loves to hear it and I can't help but love to read it.
I think one of the things that draws me in so close to this book is the way it is presented. There is this air of simplicity surrounding this little book, but it also feels so deeply rooted. The artwork has a soft and gentle quality to it, feeling aged and matured despite being found in children's literature. The words are simple and direct yet profound in their overall meaning.
This is a little book that makes a big impact.
When one reads `The Runaway Bunny' you may find it a tad sad in the beginning. The whole gist of the story is that of a young bunny who wishes to run away from his mother. Despite all the bunny's efforts, the mother always finds a way to be with her child. For me, this aspect of the book is very touching, for it showcases the fact that parents (good ones) will always put themselves out for the betterment of their child. Every child at one time or another wants his or her freedoms, and a parent has to acknowledge and respect those wishes. This little book isn't about a mother who smothers her child but a mother who wants her child to know that no matter what decisions they make in life, they will always have someone watching out for their best interests.
Anyways, this is a beautiful book that carries a sweet and poignant message for all little bunnies out there.
Book Review: Margaret Wise Brown' s second masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
I just noticed another review (one of the few on the lone star end) describing this book as "creepy." There is something haunting about it for sure, but I always felt as we read it to our children there was something immense about it too. It's extremely compact and the images have tremendously simple focus and power. I think part of Margaret Wise Brown's genius (a good bio of her is Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon) was her willingness to honestly take on something as awesome as a mother's ultimate bond to her child. It's like The Giving Tree in which the parent doesn't lie down and make herself into a chopping block. The story might start out seeming whimsical and light, but in the end it comes down to bonds of steel. I was never sure how our son and daughter reacted to it. I think the chemistry is bound to hinge on timing and on things about the particular child and parent. Powerful medicine. Handle with care. But surely great poetry and literature for the young. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1