Book Info

enlarge picture

The Runaway Bunny  
Author: Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
ISBN: 0060775823
Format:
Publish Date:
 
     
     
   Book Review

A little bunny keeps runningaway from his mother in an imaginative and imaginary game of verbal hide-and-seek; children will be profoundly comforted by this lovingly steadfast mother who finds her child every time.

The Runaway Bunny, first published in 1942 and never out of print, has indeed become a classic. Generations of readers have fallen in love with the gentle magic of its reassuring words and loving pictures.



Runaway Bunny

ANNOTATION

A little rabbit who wants to run away tells his mother how he will escape, but she is always right behind him; even if he changes into a fish, she will become a fisherman fishing with a carrot.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Clement Hurd redrew some of his pictures for this new edition of the profoundly comforting story of a bunny’s imaginary game of hide-and-seek and the lovingly steadfast mother who finds him every time.

"Best of the Best" Children's Books 1966–1978 (SLJ)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1972 (NYT)

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Bethany Miller Cole

Many children may wonder what it would be like to strike out on their own, but seldom imagine it as beautifully as the little bunny in this classic tale. The little bunny dreams of becoming a fish, a bird and even a "crocus in a hidden garden." With each new incarnation the bunny imagines, his mother promises to become a fisherman, a tree and a gardener so that she may still watch over, guide and protect her little bunny. Realizing that his mother's love is unwavering, the little bunny concedes defeat and decides he would be wise to stay home and just be himself. This picture book edition of the beautiful fable is perfect for even the smallest listener. Clement Hurd's black and white and colorful, dream-like illustrations grace spreads throughout the book, bringing to life perfectly the imagination of the young and the depth of love a parent has for a child. Children and the adults who love them will treasure this story. 2005 (orig. 1942), HarperFestival/HarperCollins, and Ages 6 mo. to 5.