The Little Rabbit written and illustrated by Nicola Killen is a gentle story about the adventures of a little girl named Ollie dressed in a rabbit costume, her imagination and her stuffed bunny.
Ollie, carrying a yellow umbrella and wearing yellow boots, takes her toy bunny outside to splash around in the puddles left behind by the Spring rain. When an unexpected breeze blows golden blossoms into the scene, a single blossom lands on Bunny’s nose causing it to twitch. “Ollie thought she imagined it, but when she looked again, Bunny’s ears were moving too!” Magic takes hold when Bunny comes fully alive and decides to follow a group of rabbits down the road and out of sight.
Young children will enjoy the search for Bunny as storm clouds gather. Ollie finds him standing on a rock in the middle of a pond of rising water. She saves him, though, by opening her umbrella, turning it upside down and using it as a little boat. Once again, the magical breeze with its blossoms, rendered throughout the book in attractive shiny gold foil, propels the umbrella boat toward little Bunny and his rescue.
These “friends forever” go on to have more adventures that day as they seek shelter in a tree house. Later, they hitch a ride on a fluffy white cloud to take them home where Ollie’s tender loving care includes time for a story.
THE LITTLE RABBIT written and illustrated with charm by Nicola Killen feels very much like a dream and would be a cozy bedtime story for children 4-7 years of age (Paula Wiseman Books/ Simon and Schuster, 2019).
Questions for The Little Rabbit
Look through the pictures in this book again. How can you tell that Ollie’s favorite toy is her stuffed bunny? What does she do with and for Bunny?
Do you or did you have a favorite toy? Think about how it looked including its shape and color. How did it feel when you touched it? Why was it your favorite? Where did you keep this toy? Who gave you this toy? Do you still have it? Draw a picture of this favorite toy and write the toy’s name underneath the picture.
Think about the story itself and answer the following questions: Why is the wind important to the story—what does it do? Why does Ollie think the gold blossoms are magic? Where does she put the blossom that landed on Bunny’s nose for safe keeping? Why is the umbrella important to the story? How would the story be different if the umbrella was not part of it?
