Chubby Bunny
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Girl rises above name-calling in body-positive tale.
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What's the Story?
As CHUBBY BUNNY starts, a happy young girl named Bunny, who's round like her mom, is excited for field day at school. But when two teams are tied for first place, a person from each team must compete in a game called Chubby Bunny to determine which team comes out on top. Bunny gets chosen from her team and a boy named Parker competes against her. In the game, each contestant puts a marshmallow in their mouth and says "chubby bunny," then repeats that until their mouth is too full to continue. The last student to say "chubby bunny" wins. But as Bunny is on her way to victory, someone in the crowd yells, "Look at that chubby Bunny shove marshmallows into her mouth! No wonder she's winning!" The crowd starts chanting "Chubby Bunny! Chubby Bunny!" and she sees the whole school laughing and pointing at her. She spits the marshmallows out and runs home. Can Bunny get over the name calling and gain her confidence back?
Is It Any Good?
This relatable story of overcoming an embarrassing name-calling incident has an empowering body-positive message. It's tough seeing a kid get humiliated at school, but it's great seeing her work through it with the help of her supportive mom, grandmother, and teacher. Chubby Bunny shows a girl realizing she's happy with her body, taking away the power of the name-callers to hurt her. It's a triumph of being comfortable with how you look and who you are.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the name-calling in Chubby Bunny. Has anyone ever called you a name? How did you deal with it?
How does Bunny show courage? When have you been courageous?
Bunny feels better after she talks to her grandmother. Who can you talk to if something goes wrong at school or on the playground?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Murphy
- Illustrator: Sarah Winifred Searle
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication , Courage , Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: October 24, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: November 9, 2023
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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Books That Promote a Healthy Body Image
Books with Strong Female Characters
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