BookMoot
August 10, 2011
Greg Pincus, father of the Fibs poetry form at his blog GottaBook and
social media tour guide at Happy Accident, penned an ode to summer
with a new poem, "At the Beach - a beach poem" last week. His poem
inspired me to pick up Margie Blumberg's book Sunny Bunnies from the
review stack.
A rabbit family packs up the car and heads to the beach where they play in
the waves, fly a kite, enjoy a picnic lunch and build a sand castle. Blumberg's
story rhymes along with a pleasant read-aloud rhythm. She hits all the activities
a child enjoys at the beach. June Goulding's bunnies are picture book sweet
and she fills the page with nice details including a sumptuous picnic with foods
young children will recognize. At the end of the day, jars of lightening bugs
glow while the family toasts marshmallows around a campfire. She also keeps
the geography of the beach consistent in the different views. Her end papers
are a map of Carrot Cake Park where the family has spent the day. I really like
presenting maps to young children. Blumberg and Goulding hit the mark with
the book's last pages as the children, who are still not tired, jump out of bed
to check on their parents and find them completely zonked, sound asleep from
their big day at the beach.
Sunny Bunnies
MB Publishing, 2008
Fiction Friday: Summer Edition
May 30, 2011
By A Frugal Friend
Fiction Friday is a bit more like Sunday Story-time this week as I was unexpectedly
without internet service for several days. Agh!!!
With HOT temperatures here in Texas this weekend, I thought it would be good to have a Summer Edition for this week…….and I’ve got several children’s books that fit the bill.
First up is, Sunny Bunnies
Here’s the scoop:
Summer’s here and these two sunny bunnies can’t wait to dig their toes into the sandiest spot in Carrot Cake Park. There, with the big sister leading the way, they’ll build a castle, fly a kite and, of course, jump the waves! This endearing rhyming tale with its cheerful illustrations captures their day perfectly–from the moment they fling their flip-flops until, home again, they say good night . . . almost!
The Bunny Family has the best day at the beach that I can imagine………they don’t miss a thing, from ice cream treats to a campfire at night’s end (complete with S’mores). Of course when they get home, Mom and Dad are passed out on the bed from exhaustion, but Brother and Sister Bunny are still so excited from their day that they stay up and pretend they are still at the beach.
I just love the illustrations, especially of the town map….Carrot Cake Park, Carrot Tops School, and more!
Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Two bunny children are very excited because they are going to the beach today.
The car is loaded up with beach paraphernalia and then the family drives down
to the seaside. Soon they are on the sands putting up their umbrellas, paddling
in the waves, and building sand castles with friends.
After a delicious lunch, the brother and sister fly a kite, play tag, eat ice
cream cones, and explore tide pools. Even after they toast marshmallows
on a fire and drive home, the bunny siblings are not quite finished with their
wonderful day.
With charming illustrations packed with details, and a cheerful rhyming text,
this picture book beautifully captures the wonderful things that one can experience
during a day at the beach. Children are sure to like the surprise ending.
Review Written by Marya Jansen-Gruber
Kirkus Reviews
December 21, 2010
"Told in short rhyming stanzas ... the app has minimal features, but it doesn't
need many with such sharply written text....The warm, earth-toned illustrations
portray the stretch of a sunny day and its transition into purple-blue night."
Jolly Mom
September 17, 2010
From the review: "Sunny Bunnies is a picture book told in rhyming verse by
Margie Blumberg. At first glance, a picture book may seem kind of odd. I mean,
they barely have any words. However, when done right--picture books are
genius. Sunny Bunnies is done right. The illustrations draw Lucas in. He basically
tells the story to me. It's wonderful to see him using his imagination! The story
itself is adorable and by the end of the story it's the parents who are exhausted
after a great day at the beach and the kids? Well, of course they are not tired
and are ready to play some more!"
Miami Munchkins,
August 26, 2010
"Beaching year-round is one of the prime benefits of life in the Magic City. Get munchkins
in the spirit with Margie Blumberg's Sunny Bunnies. The bright, upbeat book tells the story
of a family beach day - shovels, kites, picnics, ice cream and all. Simple, catchy rhymes (Almost there now - smell the sea? Fling your flip-flops! Follow me.) and colorful
illustrations make the shore seem almost irresistible. Warning - expect to be building
a sandcastle or two this weekend." $15.95 at booksandbooks.com.
Young Adult Books Central
Jillian Van Leer
August 26, 2010
"Sunny Bunnies is a wonderfully written children's book. Join a brother and sister bunny
on their way to the beach. With wonderful rhyming words and fantastic fun all along
the way! The bunny family start their day out packing the car up to head to the
beach. Adventure ensues as they swim, fly a kite, eat ice cream and end the day
with a marshmallow roast. Your little one will love the colorful pictures and flow
of the book. I highly recommend this book for all children. Young readers should
be able to even sound out the words!"
A Mom's Review
August 10, 2010
"Summer has come and sadly is almost out of here for another year. To reminisce with
your child about Summer vacation or to share as a Summer bedtime story Sunny Bunnies
is the perfect simple children's book to pick up. Sunny Bunnies by author Margie
Blumberg is also available as an iphone app. How cool!!
In Sunny Bunnies, Big Sister and Little Brother are excited about vacation. These two adorable illustrated bunnies share what they do from start to finish on their perfect day trip to the beach from makingsand castles to sitting by a fire at night on the beach then going home.
We go on vacation to the beach in the Fall instead of Summer so I plan on taking
this book along to read to my 6-year-old son during our stay. This is also a great
book to introduce the Summer season and trips. Overall, it's a sweet and simple
story with beautiful illustrations that kids (up to about age 7 or 8 ) will surely love!"
Bookviews by Alan Caruba,
July 30, 2010
"This is the time for a trip to the beach and, for the pre-school and early readers,
Sunny Bunnies by Margie Blumberg and illustrated beautifully by June Goulding
($15.95, MB Publishing) tells in rhyme the story of a family trip that is charming
and a good way to prepare any youngster for his or her first trip."
bookviewsbyalancaruba.blogspot.com
KidsBookshelf.com
July 28, 2010
Review by Christina Lewis
"It's summertime, and this brother and sister bunny are excited to go to the beach.
Together they build a sand castle, fly a kite, have a picnic lunch, and jump in the
waves. This fun family rhyming story with colorful illustrations captures a perfect
summer day. (Ages 4-8)"
Amanda's Parenting Preschoolers Blog
July 20, 2010
"Whether you are planning a trip to the beach, just returned or hope to go
someday, Sunny Bunnies (compare prices) by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by
June Goulding offers a sweet peek at spending a day by the shore. From building
sand castles to jumping in the waves, the two bunny children and their parents have
so much fun, that by the end of the day they are exhausted (or at least half of
them are).
What's really cool about this book is the hi-tech aspect. Sunny Bunnies (as well
as the previous book in the series, Breezy Bunnies) is available to purchase
in app form in the iTunes store for the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Other formats are
forthcoming."
Read Aloud Animal Picture Books for Young Kids
July 17, 2010
"Sunny Bunnies has been reviewed on Suite101.com:
http://picture-books.suite101.com/article.cfm/read-aloud-animal-picture-books-for-young-kids"
The Mom's Choice Awards
Sunny Bunnies has been awarded a gold medal in the children's picture book/
bedtime stories category!
Midwest Book Review
"Margie Blumberg has written a delightfully entertaining story about a family
of bunny rabbits who spend a day at the beach.... The rhyming text is as
clever as it is entertaining and children will thoroughly enjoy the surprise
at the end! Charmingly illustrated throughout by June Goulding, Sunny Bunnies
is a perfect pick for family, school, and community library picture book collections!"
Children's Literature
"Told in rhyming verse, the story is cute and clever. . . . [the] bright and cheerful illustrations are a delight and will appeal to the book's young audience. Goulding's
ink-and-watercolor drawings are full of life and activity; she has created bunnies
that are playful and endearing. Especially hilarious is the spread where the bunny
children have snuck out of bed and are checking on their parents who have collapsed
on top of their bed and are sound asleep, too exhausted to climb under the covers . . ." Reviewer: Margaret Orto
The Reading Tub
There are lots of activities in each illustration that aren't captured in the text,
giving you lots of opportunities to engage pre-readers and ask questions about
what is happening.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, anytime reading, family reading, playtime
reading, learning to read, read aloud book, remedial reader.
Educational Themes: This would make a great book for toddlers and
preschoolers. You can practice object identification, play I Spy (colors,
shapes), and introduce the beach all at the same time. There are lots of
activities in each illustration that aren't captured in the text, giving you
lots of opportunities to engage pre-readers and ask questions about what is
happening.
Recommended Age: read together: 2 to 6; read yourself: 6 to 9.
Little Kid Reaction: We read this book just before vacation. Our daughter
liked the book and focused on the things she wanted to do at the beach. We
read this book as partners. There are plenty of basic sight words; there are
no more than two sentences per page; and the rhyming scheme makes it easy to
learn new words.
EveryDayIWritetheBook.typepad.com
June 16, 2008
"Sunny Bunnies is a very sweet story about a family of bunnies who go to the
beach for a day of sun, fun, picnics, and roasted marshmallows over a campfire.
I got it right after my family had returned from the beach, and my four-year-old
girls have really enjoyed reading (and re-reading) it. The book will be a nice
year-round reminder of our vacation.
I really recommend Sunny Bunnies-it's gentle and sweet and has great pictures
that kept my girls very interested. The best part: at the end, the parents
collapse horizontally on their bed while their kids stay up late downstairs
prolonging the beach day."
www.DCMom.com
July 16, 2008
"Local DC writer Margie Blumberg has brought us a winner . . . just in time for
the many trips to the beach this summer. Attorney turned writer, she's showing
us a great way to stop and check out the clovers (te he . . . get the bunny joke?).
Two little bunnies take a seasonal trip in a story told in rhymes-perfect for engaging
little readers as you say one word and they can finish off another sentence with the
rhyming word.
The bunnies will be taking even further seasonal trips in future installments, so start
your collection of family favorites.
Sunny Bunnies is written by Margie Blumberg and lovely illustrations are done by June Goulding. The book is available through MB Publishing and is available in local
Barnes and Noble stores, at Politics and Prose and at The Blue House which is located
on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. You may also order it online at Amazon.com."
