I am not the Easter Bunny by T. L. McBeth

There is an old saying, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck". So, if it's a white bunny, with a fluffy cotton tail, wearing a bow tie and vest, carrying a basket full of painted eggs and other candy, then surely it must be the Easter Bunny!

Written as a conversation between the narrator who insists all the clues point to this being the Easter Bunny and a white bunny who insists he is not, and there are logical explanations for his actions, this is a story for young readers carried along in the playful back-and-forth that will make them focus on their vision and version of the real Easter Bunny, inspiring their own conversations and artwork.

But its format could also be used to introduce the concept and layout of dialogue for slightly older readers, as the narrator's voice is in regular text while the bunny's is presents as speech bubbles. How might this have been written in a novel using quotation marks and other punctuation? Some might even like to turn it into a Readers Theatre to perform for younger students.

Even older readers could enjoy it as an introduction to the concept of stereotyping, perhaps beginning by drawing their image of Easter Bunny before the book is shared, and discussing how their interpretations compare to those of their friends as well as those identified in the book. Even the too-cool-for-school brigade harbour a secret belief in this particular childhood favourite so this is a great opportunity to engage them in the fun while still respecting their growing maturity.

So what seems like, and has often been appropriated as, a book for the very young can have application across the school bringing a bit of light-hearted relief to everyone.

Themes: Easter, Rabbits.

Barbara Braxton