Friday, September 19, 2008

Take That, Rabbit-love Haters

Welcome to Week Four of Elise's Banned Book Challenge, in which

Jacqui Reads Her Children Books That Other People Think Are Bad For Them

Week Four:
The Rabbits' Wedding, by Garth Williams

Two little rabbits play really cute games all day, including "Hop Skip and Jump Me" and "Race Around the Blackberry Bush," but the little black rabbit is sad. Why? He's afraid he won't always be with the little white rabbit, whom he loves more than anything. So they get stick dandelions in their ears, get married and live happily ever after.

My thoughts: Dang, this book is sweet. The games the rabbits play made me giggle. The illustrations are so phenomenally real and detailed that both Tink and I reached out to try to pet the rabbits several times and were genuinely surprised to hit paper. The reason it was challenged is so ludicrous I want you to guess in the comments. You have all the info you need in the summary above. You can hear Tink's idea below. What do you think?

I discussed it with Tink:
TINK: (in baby voice) This book is soooooo cuuuuuute.
JACQUI: I know. The pictures are by the same illustrator who did Charlotte's Web. I love the pictures.
TINK: Bunneeeeeeeeeez! (pretending to pet them)
JACQUI: So what did you like and not like?
TINK: I loved it all, except it was too sad when the black one was sad!
JACQUI: Well --
TINK: (straightens up) Wait. Is this one of those books some people don't think you should read me?
JACQUI: Yup.
TINK: Why do they think that?
JACQUI: What do you think?
TINK: Well, they should think it because the rabbits stick dandelions in their ears and they should be afraid dumb kids will stick dandelions in their ears if they read it.

Hear that kids? No dandelions in your ears.

5 comments:

cindy said...

i love tink!
and are you serious about
this book offending some?
wow.
i love bunnies, too!

Jacqui said...

I am serious. Some people wanted it banned. Can you guess why?

Elise Murphy said...

Um . . . dare I say race relations?

Ick.

Did one bunny forget to say obey to the other bunny in their vows??

Diane T said...

I'm guessing it's an older book, so it was the "miscegenation" of mixing black and white bunnies, right? [shakes head]

Or else someone objected to the idea of giving bunnies "special rights." :p

Jacqui said...

Elise and Diane, you got it. I had to Google it. RIDICULOUS.

I still like the dandelions in ears thing better.

Diane, seriously. If we go letting bunnies marry, they'll destroy the country financially demanding spousal insurance, etc...