The Great Rabbit Chase By Freya Blackwood, Scholastic Australia, 2017. ‘A story that celebrates what it means to live in a community and a reminder that life is full of surprises.’ Are you looking for a rabbit book for your kids? The Great Rabbit Chase tells the story of Gumboots, a much-loved rabbit who is an escape artist. An adventure ensues one day when Gumboots escapes from the yard. The whole neighbourhood becomes involved in the search for Gumboots. The story is told from the little girl’s perspective, and we never do find out what her name is. The Great Rabbit Chase is beautifully illustrated in soft watercolour and pencil. The endpapers include an innovative board game that will add to the experience your child will have with this lovely book. Awards Honours for The Picture Book of the Year 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Rodney Loses It! By Michael Gerard Bauer and Chrissie Krebs, Scholastic Australia, 2017. ‘Rodney was a rabbit who loved nothing more than drawing. He never found it tiresome, tedious or boring. But then one day, disaster struck! The one thing Rodney feared, while working at his drawing desk his pen just… DISAPPEARED! ‘ Rodney Loses It! is by far and away one of my favourite reads in a long time. I LOVE THIS BOOK! Rodney loves to draw. He draws all day and all night. However, Rodney finds himself in all sorts of trouble when his favorite pen, Penny, goes missing. Follow Rodney’s journey as he searches high and low for Penny. I also love it when the illustrations show the reader something that the character in the story doesn’t know. Your child will know more than Rodney during this story, which is something that will delight children. A very clever read with a funny surprise ending! Download some teacher’s notes. View some literacy activities. Awards The Book of the Year: Early Childhood 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

The Rabbits By John Marsden and Shaun Tan, Lothian Children’s Books, 1998. ‘A rich and haunting allegory for all ages, all cultures.’ This book provides a very different perspective on the effect of humans on the environment through a clever metaphorical take on invasion. The Rabbits offers the true story of Australia’s dark history, and uses animals to describe the story. The analogy of rabbits invading the land and causing problems for the original inhabitants softens the reality of the way the situation really was. The Rabbits offers a visual feast of an intriguing, mystical and futuristic land. It is truly an illustrative masterpiece; you’ll feel like you’re in a Daliesque gallery. My 12-year-old niece wasn’t so keen on the illustrations, because she thought they weren’t easy to understand as they imitate life, but are not realistic, so to speak. She thinks it’s maybe more suitable for an older child. She wasn’t aware of the underlying message and needed it explained to her. The Rabbits could provide an opportunity for parents to explain Australia’s dark history to their children in a way that they can understand. Awards Picture Book of the Year, Children’s Book Council of Australia, 1999. Aurealis Conveners’…