I Want a Bunny!

Tony Ross's I Want a Bunny is a funny picture book for 5 year olds about a Little Princess who REALLY wants a rabbit.

What happens

Once a year, the Little Princess visits her friend Petronella. Petronella is awful, because she has everything the Little Princess wants. That includes the fluffiest, cutest, brownest bunny ever.

So now the Little Princess wants a bunny too. She says so over and over again.

The Queen isn't so sure. Someone would have to clean its cage (and its bottom) and feed it every single day.

The rest of the palace tries to help with easier pets. The Gardener hands over a stick insect, who disappears the moment he's put in a tree. The Admiral brings a goldfish that swims round and round and round. The Cook offers the kitchen cat, who does NOT want to be brushed and dressed up.

Nothing works. So in the end the Queen gives in, and off they go to the pet shop.

Little ones will get the joke straight away. Who hasn't wanted something THIS much? And every parent has heard the promise to look after it properly, shouted four times in a row.

The fun is in how quickly the Little Princess's attention wanders. A brand-new pony can be very distracting! Your reader will probably see what's coming before she does.

There's a gentle point in here about looking after animals, but it never feels like a lecture. The King's answer at the end is lovely, and there's one last joke to finish.

If you've got a little one who's been begging for a pet, this could be a very handy bedtime read (and a nice way into that conversation).

What to read next

If they want more of the Little Princess and her royal household, try I Want My Dad! This time she's jealous of all the other dads in the palace, who can bake and swim and ride, while her own dad seems hopeless at everything.