EMMALINE AND THE BUNNY by Katherine Hannigan
Emmaline does not fit in on Shipshape Street in her hometown of Neatasapin. Mayor Orson Oliphant demands that everything be neat and tidy. He bans dirt and trees and wild animals and anything that could make a mess. But Emmaline loves dirt. She loves digging. She loves hopping and shouting. And most of all, Emmaline loves bunnies. She wants a bunny more than anything in the world. And when she realizes she will never be able to have a hoppy, dirty bunny in Neatasapin, she ventures out into the Untidy wilderness to find one.
Emmaline and the Bunny is a short and cute chapter books for young readers (grades 2-3). The fable-like tone of the story and its simple social message remind me of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Readers who enjoy the spunky Junie B. Jones may like Emmaline as a character. If you liked Emmaline and the Bunny, I would definitely recommend Katherine Hannigan’s longer (and in my opinion, better) novel, Ida B . . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World.
Susan the Librarian 