Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked by Vern Kousky

Abstract

Reviewed by: Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked by Vern Kousky Natalie Berglind Kousky, Vern Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked; written and illus. by Vern Kousky. Schwartz & Wade, 2020 [38p] Library ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64666-2 $20.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64665-5 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64667-9 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R 4-6 yrs Lawrence's mom handcrafts the most elaborate, ridiculous clothes for him to wear every day, from concoctions like "sweater suits" and "ear stockings" to jester-like hats that cover his bunny ears. Unhappy with his forced clothes ("Every other beast gets to go naked. Why can't I?"), Lawrence hatches a plan to give his mother a taste of her own medicine: he sews her equally garish clothing and guilts her into wearing them until she understands his feelings ("Could this be how my darling Lawrence feels every single day?"). The two then combine their sewing skills to make an elaborate kite instead, and frolic in the nude, as bunnies were intended. Kousky's watercolor illustrations provide gentle, natural backdrops in hilarious contrast with Lawrence's and his mother's gaudily patterned clothing; the clothes are not only creative but also genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, and viewers will get a kick out of the various ways that Lawrence and his mother can embarrass each other, intentionally or not. Any kids that feel their guardians have been overbearing in some aspect can use this readaloud as a lens through which to poke a little good-humored fun at them. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois