Cutest Brave Little Bunny

Joy Steuerwald (joystewy.com) also wrote and illustrated The Peculiar Pig and illustrated many books, including Moo (written by Jaye Garnett). She lives in Fremont, California, with her husband and her son, who inspired this story. They all live with their rescue pup, Olive, a rotating bunch of foster pups, and occasional Monarch caterpillars. If not for her husband’s allergies, there would also be bunnies!

“Embedded in this gentle tale is a helpful framework for children who have long since grown weary of being patronized by the grown-ups around them. When a litter of rabbits is born, the barnyard animals in attendance can’t help but remark how adorable the new babies are. There’s just one problem—Little Bunny, the story’s protagonist, can’t stand being called cute. . . . If things stopped there, the book would still present a welcome opportunity for discussion about the language well-meaning adults use to refer to children. However, Steuerwald brings balance to the discussion and injects an unexpected note of complexity to the proceedings when Little Bunny lashes out at Little Chick, who never referred to her as cute in the first place—suggesting that a hypersensitive attitude, while understandable, may be off-putting. Ultimately, the new friends agree to shrug off their neighbors’ bothersome adulation. . . . The overall message is a worthy one.” —School Library Journal