Title: Bunbun & Bonbon: Fancy Friends
Author/Illustrator: Jess Keating
Publisher: Scholastic, 2020
Themes: Friendship, Bunnies, Bonbons
Ages: 4 - 8
Opening lines:
Bunbun had it all. A delightful Bunbun nose, a winning Bunbun smile, a ridiculously cute Bunbun tail . . .
And not one, but TWO adorable Bunbun ears.
But there was one thing Bunbun didn't have . . .
Bunbun didn't have a friend.
Activity:
You can tell by the cover that Bunbun makes a friend. What would you do with a fancy friend? Take a few minutes before you read the book to come up with some things friends would do together. How fancy did your ideas get? Did you have some of the same ideas that Bunbun and Bonbon have?
Back to the Book:
This young reader graphic novel is bright and happy. A fun story about friendship. Sometimes we need those types of stories most of all.
In Yak and Dove (last weeks PB suggestion), the story was about a friendship in spite of their differences. In Bunbun and Bonbon, it's about finding the similarities and enjoying each others company.
While it fits in the GN category, it would also make a cute read-together for pre-readers.
Activities and Resources:
If you're like me, you like salty with your sweet. This book will pair well with some crunchy chips.
Jess Keating has made videos on how to draw the characters in the book. Here a link to her YouTube Channel. You will find the how to videos and other videos about her other books. Jess writes some really fun non-fiction too. Here's a link to her website.
Are you hankering for a donut? Here's a simple recipe.
Make a list of qualities that make a good friend.
Have a fancy party with your friend or mom or dad, sister, or brother.
Here's a little game I made up:
LIKE or DISLIKE
Cut a few pieces of paper into 8 pieces. Each person playing, write or draw 4 - 8 questions that are about things you like or don't like. (ie: Do I like or dislike carrots?
Do I like or dislike riding fast on my bicycle? Would I like or dislike going to bed one hour later?) Make them as challenging as you can.
Everyone lay their questions face down in front of you. The youngest person begins. Choose a question from one of the other players. Read the question and answer it.
If you are correct you keep the card. If not, put the card in the middle.
The person to the left goes next. Choose a card, read the card, answer the question. Keep going around the circle until all the questions are answered.
The person with the most cards at the end, wins. (You can come up with a prize if you want to. Don't forget to have a dance party if you like dancing.)
You can also play a variation of this. Take all the questions, mix them up, add a few if you want to. Deal the cards around the group face down. Now play again.
You can find this book at Amazon, Bookshop.org or your local independent book store.
(The links are affiliate links. I'm not in this for the money, just trying to get you the quickest way to get the book for your kids, your library, or your school classroom. At Bookshop.org, I have begun two booklists which include my Perfect Picture Book Friday picks and my Graphic novel picks. The list will continue to grow.)
Check out Susanna Hill's Perfect Picture Book Friday Blog to discover more cool books to read with your kids and add to your collection.