What's in My Cubby? Wednesdays

This being the last toddler storytime before Easter, it’s a perfect time to do a Rascally Rabbits storytime.

Fleming, Candace. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! New York: Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2002.



Used for: Rascally Rabbits storytime
Why I used it: Funny little rabbits keep breaking into a farmer’s vegetable garden, causing him to resort to desperate measures. Text is large, making it easier on the story reader. Illustrations are eye catching and appealing to a large group.
Success: I was unsure how this would go over, due to its length. I did drop a few sentences at the end, but the majority of the children enjoyed the story.

Lee, Ho Baek. While We Were Out. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 2003.



Used for: Rascally Rabbits storytime
Why I used it: An inquisitive rabbit breaks into a family’s apartment while they are away, and has quite an adventure. The majority of the illustrations are bright and big for a large group. I like Kane/Miller’s books and the company’s charge, which is to publish quality children’s books originally published outside the United States.
Success: The children laughed at key points, such as the rabbit watching a movie. So silly! Some illustrations are small, but they are “matched” with a larger and colorful illustration to the right of them.

Russo, Marisabina. The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007.



Used for: Rascally Rabbits storytime
Why I used it: Toddlers and their parents are very familiar with bedtime struggles! These bunnies keep hopping out of bed to play with trains, hobby horses, and musical instruments. Their beleaguered parents insist that they return to bed, but the bunnies get more rambunctious and the parents get more aggravated (without trying to blow their top).
Success: This went over very well! If you make the parents sound more desperate/aggravated with each visit to the bunnies’ bedroom, it makes the story even funnier. It works great as a read aloud, but the clever illustrations are lost on a large group. Mama is reading “Hare Raising Stories” before the chaos begins, and one of Daddy’s newspaper headlines reads “5K Upset: Tortoise Beats Hare.” And what kind of cake do bunnies eat as a late night snack? Why, carrot cake, of course.

Watson, Richard Jesse. The Magic Rabbit. New York: Blue Sky Press (an imprint of Scholastic, Inc), 2005.



Used for: Rascally Rabbits storytime
Why I used it: I needed a good short book, since my toddler group is just getting comfortable with longer stories. This has fantastic illustrations that are just perfect for a large group. There’s an element of suspense: what will the rabbit pull from his hat next? The book ends with a nice but not too dorky message about friendship.
Success: I’ve used this in previous storytimes (not that this library), so I was hoping for repeated success. They particularly enjoyed it when the rabbit pulled a car from his hat.