Nobunny's Perfect - Hardcover

Anna Dewdney was a teacher, mother, and enthusiastic proponent of reading aloud to children. She continually honed her skills as an artist and writer and published her first Llama Llama book in 2005. Her passion for creating extended to home and garden and she lovingly restored an 18th century farmhouse in southern Vermont. She wrote, painted, gardened, and lived there with her partner, Reed, her two daughters, two wirehaired pointing griffons, and one bulldog. Anna passed away in 2016, but her spirit will live on in her books.

The author of Llama Llama Red Pajama (2005) does more rhyming here, as well as further examination of behavior. It’s a gentle examination, though, filtered through some adorable young rabbits. In fairly plain language, Dewdney looks first at less-than-ideal behavior, presenting cheerful images of the bunnies doing naughty things that children themselves may do or want to do: “They slurp their juice. / They scream and shout. / They burp and spit their carrots out.”  As Dewdney puts it, “Nobunny’s perfect, that is true— / but aren’t you glad this isn’t YOU?” The second half of the book offers up moments of bunny bliss—sharing with others, caring for others, and having fun with friends. As an illustrator, Dewdney doesn’t bother much with pretty backgrounds; her bunnies are set against crisp, clean white space. Their expressions, on the other hand, are full to bursting; the bunny’s smile on the final page is particularly infectious. Preschool-Grade 1. --Abby Nolan