Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish

by Margarita Engle

Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish <> Hardcover <> MargaritaEngle <> HoughtonMifflin

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Rabbits, Storytime, School, Fiction

Hardcover

First published March 4, 2014

About the author

Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She lives with her husband in northern California.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story for anyone with BIG dreams, with adorable illustrations by David Walker.



I'd consider having another baby just to decorate the nursery with his artwork.

(Just kidding.)

(About the baby thing, NOT the artwork.)

[Stella Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My joy in this book can be pin-pointed to the line "but he grew to the height of a slightly taller small rabbit." I love books that help children realize that no matter how much they wish, or how hard they try, they will always be the marvelous person they are supposed to be. Whomever that is. And Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish is exactly that kind of book.

What I like best about the book is that while tiny rabbit could get depressed and sad, he's always hopeful, and seems to always find the positive. Maybe I'm just prejudiced by the cover illustration, of a very happy rabbit smiling up at a shooting star. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the shooting star.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two great lessons blended:
No matter how hard we wish for things, it won't make them come true
What we think is a disadvantage may someday be a life-saving advantage
Various sizes of text helps emphasis the qualities Tiny Rabbit wants but doesn't get.
Great size for cuddling up, or a small group of listeners.

[Nadiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny Rabbit wished to be big! He wanted to be Huge Rabbit. So he wished for bigger everything, paws, ears, the works!

In the times that we find ourselves living in today, it is so important that children understand that what you have is perfect. Cosmetic surgery is trendy and its unfortunate that so many find it a viable solution to issues that can be resolved by simply moving more, in some cases.

However, Tiny Rabbit did come to appreciate what he had at home.

This was a touching story about one who is dissatisfied with self but comes to realize through time and trial, that what they have is just perfect. Who hasn't had that experience in some way or another?

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two friends - mouse and mole - set out in the dark on an adventure. Meanwhile, the big and growling bear also sets out as he's hungry. Love the surprise ending that the three of them are friends and get together to have a feast.
The illustrations are lovely and support the text.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

this would be really cute with yoga :)

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little One: We are stardust.

Love Poem: Wish upon your shooting star.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story book!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about a bunny who wants to grow big.

[Nelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book about unique traits and self worth. Easy to use to teach adjectives and/or action verbs.

[Marilyn DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of learning to love yourself.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a typical tale of the youngster yearning to be bigger only to discover that as he grows, things have a way of working out. Tiny rabbit dreams of being big. He longs for long legs, big eyes, a big nose and tail and the strength of a gorilla. But when his limited growth in stature is accompanied by the development of his over-sized ears, he soon realizes the amazing purpose of this natural order. His big ears help him hear not only pleasing sounds, but also the sounds of approaching danger; his small size helps him escape from harm. Rich text and vibrant, yet soft, illustrations create an inviting and engaging story. Even the font imparts a playful side with its colorful and size-shifting adjectives. This pleasant animal story is ideal for a group read-aloud or sharing at bedtime. The age-old theme still holds true and is a gentle reminder for the very young that there is a grand plan in place for all creatures. Order if needed.

[Heba Badr-El-Din · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish' is about a tiny rabbit that continuously wish to be bigger, stronger or more powerful animals then himself. However on day this tiny rabbit grew into his ears and he knew he could hear things that other couldn't. That's when he knew he was he was happy being his small self. This books major theme is about accepting yourself for who you are and no one else. When I was younger I always wished to be my sister, however it wasn't until I grew that I understood that I should be myself and stop pretending to be something that I am not. This book is very relatable especially for young children who are questioning everything. It is a good lesson for the children to understand that it is okay to be yourself. Everyone is different and children need to know that being yourself is better than being someone else.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny rabbit wants to be big and strong, but the only thing that seems to be big for him are his ears. However, he soon realizes that his big ears are very useful because they allow him to hear all sorts of things -- including a hungry lion. And his tiny frame is useful too because it allows him to hide from the hungry lion. The acrylic illustrations are adorable, although I'm not quite sure what forest animals are doing in a jungle animal habitat. Also, the text in this book is a little bit on the tiny side, which is appropriate for the story but it makes group sharing a tad bit difficult (but not impossible, especially if you practice beforehand).

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny rabbit dreams of growing huge with legs as tall as trees, with a nose as long as an elephant's trunk, but instead he grows by tiny increments with his ears growing long, tall, and powerful to protect him from rhinos stomping and lions hunting so he could remain happy, smart, and small. The illustrations are clever from the bunny walking on stilts to a woodpecker pecking out a height chart against a tree. The artwork is created by hand using acrylic paints which is colorful yet gentle. This will make a nice addition to any child's library.

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Tiny Rabbit’s wish is to be big and strong and powerful. As time goes on, the
only part of Tiny that grows very much is his ears. His ears grow long and
his sense of hearing is attuned to all of the sounds in the jungle, great and
small. Young children aspiring to be tall like mom or dad or as strong as an
older sibling will identify with Tiny Rabbit’s desire to be bigger but they will
also appreciate that Tiny is very smart and clever and that his size is just
right

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny rabbit wishes that he were taller and more powerful like the gorilla and the giraffe. Tiny rabbit doesn't grow very much, but he does grow two big ears that help him hide from the hungry lion. Tiny rabbit learns it is good to be small so that he can hide. The book would be appropriate for teaching children vocabulary related to wild animals. Some terms might be over young children's understanding.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super-duper sweet story about Tiny Rabbit who wishes to be bigger. He does not grow to be as tall as Giraffe or as powerful as Gorilla, but his ears grow strong enough to hear when Lion is coming. Escaping to his cozy, safe den makes him very glad to be tiny. No dialogue in this book, so it has a bit of an old-fashioned, cuddle-up feel to it.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every child worries about growing big enough, and Tiny Rabbit is wishing just that. Bright illustrations represent the text perfectly. Sometimes a big wish isn't what's needed. Could Tiny Rabbit be the just right after all? Reviewer 13

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a tiny rabbit who wishes and wishes to be bigger and stronger and eventually faces reality. I love that he remains hopeful, in the midst of sadness and reality. A nice read aloud to a small group or one-on-one.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny Rabbit learns the valuable lesson that bigger is not necessarily better.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are good things about being small.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little rabbit wishes he had some of the traits of other animals, but he eventually learns to appreciate his big ears.

[Dana Pressnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being content and thankful after all.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for small children who are learning size adjectives.

[Josie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations and descriptive language with a wonderful message in accepting our own gifts and using our uniqueness.

[Jeff Corrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable story and a beautifully illustrated book! Author Margarita Engle is a Newbery honor-winning author and David Walker's illustrations are topnotch! A big thumbs up. ~The Librarian Uncle

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it that this book has words highlighted in different fonts and colors so that the word looks like what it means. Also a very sweet story.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about a tiny rabbit that wishes more than anything to be a HUGE rabbit. But when a hungry lion happens by Tiny Rabbit discovers that being tiny isn't so bad after all!

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being small isn't always bad. I wish the publisher hadn't chosen cursive for the text inside, though; it makes it very hard for younger children to read.