Just So Stories

EK Books

January 2024

ISBN: 9781922539656

RRP: $26.99

How utterly adorable is that cover? and how could I possibly resist this one? After all – rabbits!! It is essentially a very simple narrative but one that has a really powerful message, subtly delivered.

These two little rabbits are the best of friends but when they have an argument, each gets so mad that they cannot wait to get away from each other. Using some cleverly written repetition and echoing each other’s feelings and actions, Smalls will easily follow both the physical and emotional path each little bunny friend takes.

Whether we are big or small, old or young, we all have moments when our tempers flare up and we might say things we really don’t mean, and so it is with Little Grey Rabbit and Little Brown Rabbit. Of course, they’re both steaming mad, and they thump their separate ways, but once they’ve had a chance to cool down they each realise what’s missing from their favourite space. And they find a way to make peace and reconcile.

It’s an excellent resource for any emotional intelligence program/unit of work as well as just a charming read-aloud for young ones who are still navigating their way through friendships, new and old. Helping our little humans to resolve their differences, and more importantly, understanding that we can have points of difference with people and still be friends is essential. We only have to watch any news bulletin to see the results if not raised to do this. There are astonishingly fulsome teaching notes which would be a hugely beneficial bonus, for any extensive work with this one. If not for your own collection or classroom, this would definitely be one to pass onto a school counsellor or even chaplain.

Both author and illustrator have excelled with this one. Larissa’s text is just so delightful but resonant, kiddos will easily make connections to self with it and Prue’s sweet and expressive illustrations make this a formidable package (and those gorgeous endpaper maps so children get a real visual on the two little bunnies going in opposite directions), and one which is deserving of much recognition.

I highly recommend it to you for your own shelves, whether home, classroom or library. I’m looking forward to sharing it soon. In particular, I think I will have some work in my old library soonish and this will be the perfect text to share with the lower grades. How could I give it anything less than a 5 bunny rating 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇?