WILLOW AND BUNNY: A Story of Caring

TWO LIONS PUBLICATIONS, 2023

 WILLOW AND BUNNY is written by Anitra Rowe Schulte and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Christopher Denise. In a post earlier this year I wrote about a book with a similar title, Bunny and Tree, a wordless book illustrated by Balint Zsako. (Click the title to read about the reflections on HOME that it inspired in me.)

WILLOW AND BUNNY presents a more scrutable story, since picture books with text are, by definition, a bit more literal than wordless books might be. That certainly is the case when compared to BUNNY AND TREE. 

The two titles could serve well as material for a VENN diagram lesson/discussion. (Remember those VENN diagrams, now sometimes referred to insectionality?). 

Both involve a chance encounter between a bunny and a tree, both involve dangers and adventures, and both develop a powerful relationship between the animal and the tree. Both also are illustrated with rich detail and color. Even so, they are distinctly different, including in illustration style and media. WILLOW AND BUNNY uses a glowing balance of light and dark, striking a sort of impressionistic revelation of familiar natural scenes. I'd say luminous, but I tend to overuse that descriptor, although it suits these pages perfectly. The story, too, relies on near-realistic events and reactions, much more so than is the case in the previous book. While WILLOW, in this case, is deemed to have emotions and the implied ability to convey those emotions, most of the story feels close-to-real and is portrayed within limits of potential animal behaviors. 

That's a clear contrast with  BUNNY AND TREE, both of whom  achieve magical actions, communications, and experiences. 

The story line for BUNNY AND WILLOW conveys childlike emotional arcs (love of nature, sudden caution/fear, feeling lost, seeking safe harbor, longing for friendship, enjoying companionship, and friends sharing the reciprocity of support in hard times.) Its rich and satisfying resolution invites many reading repetitions, and welcomes even the youngest audiences to identify with and find comfort in the story. Spreads call on rich earth tones and green-gold glows to anchor a slightly magical story in familiar circumstances. Many spreads have the depth and appeal of framable art. Even if you don't get copies of both titles to do some compare/contrast of your own, I urge you to read this new offering. Its warmth and comfort will be worth the effort.