by Amy Morris

With spring and the Easter Bunny season upon us, here is a list of books about rabbits that are sure to hop off your childrens’ bookshelves time and time again:

It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler. In this P.J. Funny Bunny tale, P.J. moves in with many other animals, but learns he is not meant to be anything other than the adorable little rabbit that he is. This is a great book for a beginning reader and full of giggles.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This modern little classic, designed around simple but amusing illustrations, poses one question – is it a duck or is it a rabbit. By the end of the book, you’re still not sure, but you’ve had so much fun, you don’t care. Story time children adore this one!

The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen. If you’re looking to slip a quick Easter Bunny story into your preschool reading time, this is one to consider. It has a slight fairy tale/fantasy feel and makes kids seriously wonder how the Easter Bunny got started in the chocolate egg business.

Hey Rabbit! by Sergio Ruzzier. Offbeat in a good way perfectly describes this quirky selection. It begins with a rabbit and a suitcase. One by one random animals come along and ask rabbit for things out of his suitcase. Eventually, rabbit checks the suitcase to see if there is anything special left for himself.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na. The unusual and gorgeous illustrations are what bring this book to life. The story begins at the start of winter with animals preparing for the cold months ahead and ends with the rejuvenation of spring. And as the seasons change, something about rabbit does too.

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes. This book fits in the same category as Good Night Moon because its simple, pastel pictures paired with sparse, mesmerizing text give you a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside – almost like when you read Good Night Moon.

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann. Poor Rabbit finds himself with a big problem and tries to solve it with an even bigger and more outrageous solution. Kids will love the bold and sometimes ridiculous illustrations in this former Caldecott story about solving problems and friendship.

So Many Bunnies by Rick Walton. In this nursery rhyme-like tale, Mother Rabbit lives in a shoe with her twenty-six children. The counting fun begins when she must put each child to bed in their own special place. This is a great book for practicing numbers and rhyming.

If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre. This book is fun because it is sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Filled with delightful illustrations and silly twists and turns on each page, expect children to be laughing and singing at the same time with this one.

Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry. This literary treasure received the Caldecott Honor in 1943 and is still being read today because of its timeless feel. Marshmallow, a baby bunny, comes to live with Miss Tilly and her cat, Oliver. The tiny rabbit is scared and lonely until the most unexpected of things happens to cheer him up.

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming. In this silly rabbit tale gone awry, Mr. McGreely goes to an unbelievable amount of trouble to keep all of the bunnies out of his garden. Is Mr. McGreely successful? Read the book to find out!

Humbug Rabbit by Lorna Balian. What’s interesting about this one is that it is two stories in one – at the same time! In the first storyline, and in the upper half of the pictures, Granny is getting ready for an Easter egg hunt on her farm. In the second storyline, and in the lower half of the illustrations, preparations are being made by a rabbit family for their own Easter celebration. It doesn’t go as expected for Granny or the rabbit family, but somehow, everything seems to work out in the end.

Howard B Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies by Howard Binkow. Every day, Howard B. Wigglebottom, a young rabbit, must deal with being bullied at school by the rotten Snorton Twins. But eventually, Howard learns just what to do about the situation – tell an adult. This book is a good way to explain bullying to kids and how to handle it.

Thunder Bunny by Barbara Helen Berger. Thunder Bunny was born with one problem, she had fur as blue as the sky. So, thinking she must have come from above, she leaps into the sky only to find herself in a dark cloud full of lightening, thunder and rain. In the end, the blue bunny emerges from the storm even more colorful than before.

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael B. Kaplan. Betty Bunny loves chocolate cake so much she decides to stuff a piece in her pocket for later – with icky, sticky results. That’s ok, because Betty finds a better place to put her chocolate cake – or does she?

White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker. A plain white rabbit turns all kinds of colors after hopping in and out of cups of paint in this messy tale of mixed-up paints.

And if you are looking for some additional rabbit books you might enjoy reading:

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Pat The Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
The Night Before Easter by Natashia Wing
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
That’s Not My Bunny by Fiona Watt
Me And You by Genevieve Cote
Read To Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Too Many Bunnies by Tomie De Paola
In The Rabbit Garden by Leo Lionni
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Nibble Nibble by Margaret Wise Brown
Squish Rabbit by Katherine Battersby
What Does Bunny See by Maggie Smith
Quiet Bunny by Lisa McCue

Do you have a beloved rabbit book that is not listed here? Leave us a comment and let us know what it is and why it is your favorite.

Amy Morris is a librarian technical assistant at the Westport Branch. She earned a B.A. in English, with an emphasis in creative writing, from Avila University. Besides reading and writing, Amy enjoys traveling, art, being creative, and spending time with her family.