Picture Book Review: It's Not Easy Being a Bunny

Picture Book

Title: It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny

Author: Marilyn Sadler

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Copyright date: September 12, 1983

Number of Pages: 39

Awards: N/A

Reading Level: Learning to Read Sr. "The Journey Continues"

Generally appropriate for Kindergarten to 2nd Grade

Books at this level are appropriate for the reader starting to decode fluently. This reader has mastered the concepts of print and is ready to experience the story

Lexile: 590L

Genre: Children’s Literature, Fiction

Summary:
The story is about how a bunny named P.J. Funnybunny, and he didn't want to be a bunny anymore. He was sick of eating carrots and having so many brothers and sisters, but most of all he was sick of his really big ears. So P.J. decided to leave home, he wanted to become something else. He went to go live with the bears, but living with the bears didn’t turn out too well. Then, he went to live with the birds, and that was a problem too. P.J. Funnybunny explores many different animals of what he wanted to be. Does he find an animal he would like to be and live with, or does he decide to go back home with his family?
This story has bright, lively illustrations by Roger Bollen, and the concepts in this book makes this a perfect book for very beginning readers. Children will want to read it again and again- and they really can, all by themselves.

Academic Purpose:

I would use this book in the primary classrooms. This book is great for beginning writers and readers, because of its predictability. I would first talk about the book with my students. I would ask them to predict what they think will happen in the book. Then, I would pair my students together and have them read the book together, and try and have them sound out the words on their own.

I would then bring the students together at the carpet, and have them tell me what the story was about and if their predictions were true. I would read the book aloud to the students. Then, I would have a writing prompt slip already made, with the sentence, “I want to be a___________, because____________. I would do an example first then I would want the students to practice with their sounds to create their words. Students would then glue their strip to a piece of paper and they would illustrate their words.
Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is not many vocabulary words. The books style and language creates a great book for young readers, because of its repetition in words and predictability.   5 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	The plot is all about trying to find out who P.J. Funnybunny wants to be, because he doesn’t like being a bunny. The beginning of the book creates a strong picture of who P.J. Funnybunny is. He is a bunny that dislikes what bunnies do and look like. This book has a strong beginning, middle, and end. 5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book is suitable for the age targeted. Younger children love books about animals, and this book talks about all different kinds of animals to hold a readers’ attention.   3 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book has no relatable elements to other content areas. But, this book can be used along with a lesson with beginning writers and readers.       3 star