Bella Loves Bunny

A young girl enjoys the company of her stuffed rabbit from sunup to sundown. This companion title to Ben Loves Bear (2013) follows a similar day-in-the-life format. In soft watercolor double-page spreads and smaller vignettes, Bella and Bunny do some gardening, enjoy a picnic and play the piano. McPhail uses simple, descriptive sentences to caption the art and includes bits of humor, such as Bunny's enjoyment of a slice of carrot cake and Bella's rough-and-tumble treatment of her friend. Probably due to issues of size and scale, some children may initially be confused as to whether Bunny is a stuffed animal or not, but Bella and Bunny's warm relationship will draw them in regardless. A lovely depiction of a first friendship. (Board book. 18 mos.-3) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 15, 2013
Preschool In this board-book companion to Ben Loves Bear (2013), prolific author-illustrator offers a female perspective of a young child's day with a beloved toy. Bella and her stuffed bunny (who sleeps in a basket beside her bed) love each other. They wake up, brush their hair, work in the garden, skip and twirl, enjoy a picnic lunch, play the piano and dance, and then get ready for bedall without observable adult assistance. The opening and closing illustrations are full-page watercolor spreads; smaller inset art, set against a white background, appears on the other pages. The simple text correlates perfectly with the cozy, comforting art, and most young listeners will be able to retell the story after hearing it. This makes a good choice for toddler story hours or one-on-one sharing; pair with Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny (2004) or any of Rosemary Wells' Max and Ruby titles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)