Bunnybear

November 7, 2016
In a story about sticking to what you know to be true, even if it goes against social norms, debut author Loney introduces a bear who feels most like himself when he’s doing the sorts of things that bunnies do: “He loved to bounce through the forest, wiggle his nose, and nibble on strawberries. It made him feel free and light and happy.” Bunnybear’s fellow bears don’t understand him, nor do a warren of bunnies—except for one named Grizzlybun, who declares herself a bear. “I’m burly and loud and I eat whatever I want,” she tells Bunnybear, who responds, “That certainly sounds like a bear to me.” Working in what looks like a combination of painting and digital techniques, newcomer Saldaña creates an appealing cast of wild animals and an equally inviting woodland landscape, and she doesn’t ignore the humorousness of a bear who prefers hopping to stomping or a bunny whose inner ferociousness outstrips her small size. But despite the lighthearted tone, Loney’s story has important things to say about identity and acceptance, and is valuable both as entertainment and a conversation-starter. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary.

March 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Bunnybear may have been born in the shape of a bear, but he knows what he really is: a cute, fluffy, hopping bunny. He likes to sniff the air like a bunny, and he loves the way bunnies whisper and giggle... until they giggle at him. Bunnybear feels perplexed by their dismissal of his bunnyness, until he finds a bunny who is as "burly and loud" as Bunnybear is bouncy, fluffy, and tiny inside. Together, Grizzlybun and Bunnybear inspire the other animals of the forest to discover their true inner animals. Painted in natural hues in their natural habitats, the animals' faces and postures express their strong individual personalities without completely anthropomorphizing them. VERDICT An engaging read suitable for one-on-one and small group sharing. Bunnybear will be sure to endear himself to children, and teachers and parents will appreciate the sensitivity with which the book expresses the discord between internal and external identity to young readers.-Anna Stover, Poughkeepsie Day School, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
A sweet story of friendship and acceptance. Whimsical, cheery illustrations tell the story of a bear who looks like most bears. But when he is alone, he bounces, wiggles his nose, and nibbles on strawberries. He calls himself Bunnybear. The other bears don't understand him and deem him odd. So he leaves home and eventually finds himself looking down a rabbit hole. Even though they are "tiny and fluffy and bouncy, like Bunnybear's heart," the rabbits find him as odd as the bears did and tell him to leave. Alone and bewildered--he doesn't feel like a bear, but he doesn't look like a rabbit--he is at a loss. Then he meets a rabbit. Only this rabbit is more than a rabbit: she looks like a rabbit but feels like a bear--she is Grizzlybun! And so starts a friendship of two who look one way on the outside but feel another way on the inside. Unlike many stories of differentness in which the characters just want to fit in, here the characters are happy to be who they are--it is others who must come to accept them. The book has a strong beginning but a weak ending that peters out and turns both didactic and puzzling; still the message of being true to one's nature is one many children need to hear. A nice addition to the identity and acceptance bookshelf. (Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2018
Loney touches on identity and an outsider's emotions in this moving story about a bear who feels like a bunny but isn't accepted by either species. Life improves when Bunnybear befriends Grizzlybun, a rabbit who identifies as a bear; the other animals (rather abruptly) come around at a book's-end party. Pleasing, earth-toned illustrations feature simple animal shapes and varied textures.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)