Tao Nyeu

Six innocent little bunnies find themselves the victims of Mr. and Mrs. Goat's carelessness in Tao Nyeu's Bunny Days, but luckily, they are always able to take their troubles to Bear, who also starred in the author's debut (wordless) picture-book, Wonder Bear. Whether they need to be cleaned up, after Mr. Goat gets mud all over them, in Muddy Bunnies; dusted off, after Mrs. Goat accidentally vacuums them up, in Dusty Bunnies; or sewn back together, when Mr. Goat snips off their tails by show more mistake, in Bunny Tails; Bear always knows what to do...

Apparently, some reviewers find Bunny Days, in which the fluffy little creatures are washed in a machine and hung out to dry on a clothesline, dusted off with a high-powered fan, and made whole again with a sewing machine, rather sadistic. I confess that, although I can see why the parents of very sensitive younger children might want to be cautious about reading this one at bedtime, I found it hilarious. Then again, I'm not a toddler, and loved The Book of Bunny Suicides. The illustrations, done on silkscreen with water-based ink, are absolutely adorable, and as an added bonus, the dust-jacket can be removed, and unfolded into a gorgeous poster! show less

A beautifully clever story that can be read in either direction; it ends in the middle, you flip the book around, and read the other story starting from the other end.

Fox invites Moose over for tea, and Moose, being a good guest, decides to bring Fox a gift: a scarf they've knitted. But it comes unraveled on the way, leaving Moose in a bind. Fortunately, friends along Moose's walk help contribute gifts for Fox.

Meanwhile, Fox has prepared brownies for her guest, because a host always show more provides something sweet - but a crow seizes Fox's basket of brownies and flies off with it, leaving Fox in a similar bind to Moose's. Again, friends help, and although neither Fox nor Moose arrives with or provides the gift they'd intended, their lovely afternoon still goes "exactly as planned." show less

Weird but in a fascinating, sweet kind of way. That pretty much sums up my feelings about this book. Storytime audiences feel a little differently about it; parents are a bit doubtful about it, younger kids are intrigued, and older children feel a need to explain the oddities.
There are three stories here, each featuring the same characters and general plot. Mr. or Mrs. Goat get the bunnies in trouble. They go to Bear for help and he fixes the problem. "Everyone is happy."
Simple, right? But show more there's so many delicate details sprinkled throughout the story...In the first story, the bunnies get dirty and need a bath and the illustrations are predominantly blue. In the second story, the bunnies get sucked into Mrs. Goat's vacuum cleaner and the illustrations are browns and oranges. In the third story, Mr. Goat accidentally cuts off the bunnies' tails when he's trimming the hedges and the story is all greens. Bear's solutions in each story are completely logical from a young child's point of view, while an older child will relish the delicious silliness of putting the bunnies in a washing machine and hanging them out to dry.
Nervous parents will look a little askance at these stories - I've had several giggle uncomfortably or delicately hint that the stories were a little...you know...especially the bunnies getting their tails cut off. But it only seems to bother adults. Very small children giggle uncontrollably throughout while older children explain matter-of-factly to their younger siblings and friends "they're not real bunnies! It's pretend."
Exactly. Delightful, silly, logical pretend.

Verdict: Take a look at it yourself to see if it will work in your library. Not everyone will appreciate the dry humor and fairy tale logic of the stories, but if you think you have a good audience, it's a lovely book. show less

A young boy and girl plant their seeds one day in this gorgeously-illustrated book, and awaken to discover that something magical has occurred! Wonder Bear takes them on a series of fantastic voyages in this wordless picture-book, only to return them safe and sound to their beds.

Tao Nyeu's lovely illustrations, which must carry the entire story, are reminiscent of Wanda Gag's work in style, although they utilize a far more subtle array of colors. I sometimes find wordless picture-books show more rather off-putting, but the charming visual landscape of Wonder Bear was sufficient to compensate for the lack of text. show less