Funny bunnies (series) by David Melling

Hachette, 2014.
Rain or shine. ISBN 9781444919127.
Up and down. ISBN 9781444917840.
(Age: Preschool) Board book. Preschool. Weather. Two books in this series Funny bunnies, Rain or shine, and Up and down, are designed to be held by young hands and used without a care for the niceties of reading a book. In hard board ready to take any treatment dolled out by children still unable to appreciate how to handle a book, these will be used within early childhood centres and in the home.
Each shows the funny bunnies on their pogo sticks in situations which reflect the terms, up and down, or aspects of the weather in rain and shine. Each is told in rhyming phrases, encouraging the child to develop a sense of the rhythm of words, and help them to predict what the next word might be.
In Up and down, the bunnies demonstrate two words which mean the opposite. So we have the bunnies pulling a cow, and then pushing a cow, or a bunny going fast while the next bunny goes slow, or some bunnies play while some fight. Each double page shows the opposites and so lends itself to discussing words and their meanings.
In Rain or shine, each double page illustrates a different aspects of weather, including hail and snow, fog and storm.
Both books will provide a strong book for younger readers which will teach them new aspects of their language and environment.
Fran Knight