The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

I grew up on Beatrix Potter, beloved of my librarian grandmother. These days, if you are going to read every word of the text to children, you should be aware that the following things occur in this book:
-Use of four-syllable words ("somniferous," promptly defined through context)
-Tobacco references
-Antagonist humans planning to eat the protagonists and/or skin and decapitate them
-Cousin marriage among rabbits
Personally, I still find the story worth sharing even if I edit out a bullet point or two of the above depending on the age of the listeners. (Pre-K can't benefit from the big word, but can handle the rabbits marrying one another better than 3rd grade...)

This review goes for all the bunny-centric Beatrix Potter books, including [b:The Tale of Peter Rabbit|19321|The Tale of Peter Rabbit|Beatrix Potter|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167203194s/19321.jpg|644171], [b:The Tale of Benjamin Bunny|756712|The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (The World of Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit)|Beatrix Potter|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178084206s/756712.jpg|742825], and [b:The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit|682788|The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit (The World of Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit)|Beatrix Potter|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177117865s/682788.jpg|1704630]. I'm just attaching it to The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies because I think it has the cutest drawings (leetle behbeh bunneh ears!).

You don't show more realize, when you are a child, how perfect and lifelike Beatrix Potter's illustrations are. That takes adult eyes. Looking at the drawings for these 4 books, I couldn't get over how lifelike Potter's rabbits were. It was clear to me that she knew her subjects in the most intimate way; she had been observing the wildlife of northern England for years to be able to draw rabbits in such lifelike ways, even while anthropomorphizing them (Mrs. Flopsy Bunny in her little housekeeper's apron?!? Adorable!). The tenderness and reality of the colors are also amazing: the variations of brown in the bunnies' coats; the shades of green in a lettuce leaf; the slightly misty quality to views of Old Mr. MacGregor's garden that evoke a golden age of the English countryside that probably never existed. Or maybe it did. Or maybe it does, in our imaginations and hearts.

Looking back, one might think Beatrix Potter's tales are a bit harsh for children (e.g., The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit: The Bad Rabbit beats up another rabbit and takes his carrot, then gets shot at by a hunter. He doesn't die, only loses his tail and whiskers, but Oi! Violence!). However, I don't think they are excessively so (the Bad Rabbit does not die; there is no bloody bunny carcass displayed on the meadow or hanging from the hunter's fist), and I read these books as a child and turned out fairly fine, so I have very little qualm about passing them on to the next generation. show less

Love Beatrix Potter for early readers! I am reading this to my preschool aged son, and it is a welcome change from many of the more modern picture books. It actually introduced him to some new words, which is something I often cannot say about a children's book.

The Flopsy Bunnies are indeed quite mischievous. After stuffing themselves full of lettuce, which is known to have a "soporific effect," as Potter puts it, they are captured by Mr. McGregor. However, someone special managed to save the day for them.

This is a story of Benjamin Bunny little children, who are mostly known as the "Flopsy Bunnies" who went to Mr. McGregor's rubbish heap and found lots of overgrown lettuces. Astound with their find, they decided to eat their fill but ended up sleeping soundly after they are full.

Unfortunately for them, they were discovered by Mr. McGregor who puts them in a bag so he could sell them off. Thomasina Tittlemouse comes to the rescue and the bunnies are replace with whatever they could find.

I absolutely love the traditional water-colored illustrations depicted in this the pages of this book. The story itself is a wonderful cute tale for children to enjoy as well. The plot is simple but it attracts the kids when you read it to them, with of show more course a couple of "gasps" moments in between the pages. Otherwise, I'm sure to put this book in the list of books I love to read to my young kids to. show less

Summary: This book is a sequel to the Peter Cottontail books. This follows Benjamin Bunny and his cousin Flopsy and their six baby bunnies. They are captured by a human and put in a sack but manage to escape and replace the contents with rotten vegetables.

Personal connection: I love the continuation of the Peter Cottontail books and like how cunning the six bunnies were.

Class use: Have students draw what they think the bunnies house looks like.

very cute--a little tale that teaches children what it means to be a bad little bunny.