10 hopping bunnies by Ed Allen

Scholastic, 2014. ISBN: 9781742836362.
This delightful rhyming book uses a collection of hopping bunnies, avidly involved in a myriad of different pursuits, as the focus for counting. Their activities include egg and spoon races, listening at school, working in the vegie patch, choosing books to borrow, digging holes, getting into shape, swinging on trapezes, being in a talent quest and playing hop scotch. As the group of ten bunnies slowly diminishes, the child reader would undoubtedly wonder where they go as they disappear. When the final bunny gets caught out in the storm, where will he go and will he see his friends again?
With its simple rhyming story, vibrantly coloured cartoon style pictures, depicting the bunnies in every colour of the rainbow, this is a book which could be read over and over by parents of very young children and enjoyed by those emergent readers capable of reading a picture book alone. As a simple counting book, it would have a place in the classroom. It could also prove useful in helping children to predict what might happen next in the story, as well as assisting them to learn about rhyme and repetition. Personally, I would also love to use the stylised rabbits as the focus of a step by step drawing lesson. Children would enjoy drawing the rabbits in a variety of poses and colours and a great classroom display could be produced as a result.
Jo Schenkel