Review by Booklist Review
Barbara "Bunny" Links embraces her nickname in every aspect of life. She adores her pet rabbit, fashions her hair into two bunny buns atop her head, and even sports bunny-themed red boots. She can't wait to take part in her favorite game, Chubby Bunny, at her school's field day. Bunny and her classmates compete to stuff as many marshmallows into their mouths as they can while attempting to enunciate "chubby bunny," but a silly moment turns sour when the audience starts chanting the name in reference to Bunny's larger size. A dismayed but resourceful Bunny plots to distract her classmates in a variety of ways, leading to more trouble, and the nickname doesn't budge. After she swears off marshmallows and bunny buns, her sympathetic grandmother reminds Bunny that the word chubby is simply a descriptor. Reassured, Bunny determines that "the only bad thing about being chubby was when other people were mean about it" and marches to school and reclaims her beloved nickname with gusto. Adorable Bunny is an exuberant and inventive protagonist, approaching life with zeal and creativity. The supportive familial relationships are a joy, and happily, Bunny is given the agency to reclaim her name and confidence on her own terms. Searle's darling cartoonish illustrations radiate emotion and energy and delight in diverse bodies. Murphy's welcome first foray into picture books is an exceptionally friendly and frank fat-positive contribution.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This debut picture book from #1 New York Times best-seller Murphy, the body positivity queen, is sure to draw interest.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This message-forward picture book debut from Murphy (Dumplin') depicts a world in which family warmly supports a child facing anti-fat bias at school. "Barbara 'Bunny' Binks came from a long line of Barbaras.... Bunny went by Bunny, her mother went by Babs, and her grandmother went by, well--Barbara!" Bunny, who wears her hair in two "bunny buns," loves her nickname and its connection to her pet rabbit. When school field day finally arrives, expressionistic illustrations by Searle (The Greatest Thing) show the round-bodied, pale-skinned child readying for school, "more excited than a rabbit in a carrot patch." At the event, however, she volunteers for a tie-breaking competition--"Chubby Bunny"--and finds that her classmates' cheers of the game's name "didn't feel so good." Plans to make others forget about the incident result in further comments, and time at home opens a new line of discussion for the three Barbaras. The collaborators clearly define chubby as a neutral descriptor, allowing Bunny to reclaim the word in interacting with her schoolmates: "I don't think there's anything wrong with... being chubby. Or with being tall... or wearing glasses," the protagonist says. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: John Cusick, Folio Jr./Folio Literary. Illustrator's agent: Jen Linnan, Linnan Literary Management. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl learns to stand up for herself. Barbara Binks, called Bunny by her loving mom and grandma (all white-presenting), is "plain old round." She seems happy, but when a Chubby Bunny contest at school (a stuff-your-mouth-with-marshmallows game) turns into fatphobic bullying, Bunny must figure out what to do. On the wordy side, the narrative drags in the middle as Bunny tries various unsuccessful experiments to stop the teasing, with emotional outbursts at home. The conflict is resolved with a heartfelt conversation between Bunny and her grandmother, which makes the final scenes, where Bunny addresses her classmates, feel anticlimactic. When Bunny's teacher tries to discourage the other kids from using the hurtful nickname "Chubby Bunny," Bunny informs them that there's nothing wrong with the word chubby, but "If you're going to call me Chubby Bunny, you should say it with a marshmallow in your mouth!" Though the message that chubby shouldn't be seen as a pejorative is a much-needed one, it gets somewhat muddled, and children may come away wondering if it is, in fact, OK to comment on or even make fun of others' bodies. The graphic novel--style illustrations use a lot of white space, and many of the spreads feel somewhat static, though Bunny and her family are tenderly rendered. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An earnest attempt at dispelling fatphobia that may inadvertently lead to teasing. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
