The Runaway Rabbit

Paula Harrison's The Runaway Rabbit is a gentle animal mystery for 6 year olds about a princess who finds a pet bunny hiding in a bush on the busiest street in town.

What happens

Princess Bea is animal-mad. Her dad, King George, says a palace is no place for pets, so Bea helps lost and homeless animals instead.

Today she and her best friend Keira are buying sweets for Keira's very first palace sleepover. Then a pair of long golden ears pops up behind a bush. It's a rabbit, far too tame to be wild, and far too close to the traffic.

A bit of kale from the corner shop does the trick. They name her Goldie, and Bea carries her all the way home up the hill.

Keeping a rabbit at a palace isn't simple, though. The gardener helps turn an old strawberry crate into a hutch. The royal chef is furious when Goldie munches every carrot he was saving for the king's soup. And the lost-rabbit notice in the shop window says the wrong thing entirely!

There's also a scowling boy who nearly knocks them over in the shop, and a mysterious torch shining into the palace garden at midnight. Who could be out there in the dark, pointing it at Goldie's shed?

It's a lovely first chapter book for a child who's just getting going on their own. The chapters are short, the mystery is never too scary, and there's always a funny moment to break things up (like the king fast asleep, snoring, with his crown hanging off the bedpost).

Bea is a great heroine for this age. She's brave, a bit bossy and very quick to decide what she thinks of people. Part of the fun is watching her find out she's got it wrong.

The sleepover is a treat too, with a midnight feast of rainbow sweets and a little brother trying to sneak some.

If you've got a reader who dreams of a pet of their own, they'll be right there with Bea.

What to read next

If they fall for Bea, try The Lost Puppy. She's hiding a pet mouse called Fluff in a box under her bed and hoping nobody at the palace finds out.