The Runaway Bunny
By Margaret Wise Brown
Pictures by Clement Hurd
The Runaway Bunny is a story about a bunny who announces his plan to run away. He comes up with elaborate plans to hide from his mom. Each time, his mom tells the runaway bunny how she will find him so she can keep an eye on him because he is her little bunny.
Some of the bunny’s ideas include becoming a fish, a flower, a rock at the top of the mountain. ‘If you run away,’ said his mother, ‘I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.’ It doesn’t matter how intricate the runaway bunny’s plan becomes, mom always figures out a way to bring him back. In the end, the runaway bunny decides not to run away after all. He stays home and enjoys a carrot with his mom.
My review of The Runaway Bunny
Unlike many other people who have memories from childhood of this book, I never heard about this book until I had children. I like the way the mother’s unconditional, nonjudgemental love for her little bunny is expressed. The little bunny doesn’t really run away, but talks about it like children sometimes do. He also uses his imagination to tell his mom where he would go. We never find out why he is talking about running away, maybe he just wants an adventure. Perhaps, Margaret Wise wants us to use our imagination, too.
My children enjoy reading this story over and over, even though it was a book I used for kindergarten lessons. They love the creativity of both the runaway bunny and his mother as well as her desire to show her love for her little bunny.
Often, my preschool children sit in on the kindergarten stories. Since I want to include them, too, I have them look for the runaway rabbit in the picture. On the page where he’s a crocus, it’s a bit harder for preschoolers to find. My preschoolers enjoy showing how smart they are when they find the runaway rabbit.
My kids are drawn to Clement Hurd’s illustrations. Every other time you turn the page, there is a black and white illustrated picture with the storyline. Turn the page again, you’ll see vibrantly, yet lovingly, illustrated pages without words.
Runaway Bunny was published in 1942, has never been out of print and comes in multiple bindings. For instance the book I’m using is hard back, but you can also find the board book version.
Where you can buy The Runaway Bunny
The Runaway Bunny is available at these retailers’ websites.
At Buy.com:
- $3.95 hardcover edition
- $5.99 paperback edition
- $6.44 for paperback with CD
At Learning Things: The Education Store
- $6.29 paperback edition
I look forward to reading your comments about The Runaway Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown, and Clement Hurd. Please share this page with your friends so they can enjoy this beautifully illustrated book, too.
