Ten Little Rabbits

by Virginia Grossman, Sylvia Long (Illustrator)

Weaving, fishing, and storytelling are all part of this spirited book that celebrates Native American traditions as it teaches young children to count from one to ten. The book's whimsical illustrations, reminiscent of Beatrix Potter, glow with brilliant color and are filled with fascinating detail. Each number introduces a facet of traditional Native American culture, such as Pueblo corn dances or Navajo weaving, and the simple, rhyming text is enhanced by a brief afterword on Native American customs. Ideal for storytime or bedtime, this is a book sure to leave children counting rabbits instead of sheep.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Native American, Counting, Cultural, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little counting book with detailed and engaging illustrations of various rabbits depicting a diverse range of Native American tribes. The story itself is a tad confusing because it seems like a first all the rabbits are in the same area or perhaps their little scenes are related somehow--yet as you read on it becomes clear (well, to adults familiar with various Native American tribes) that they are all distinct. The author's note in the back clears up any confusion by describing a bit about each tribe included in the story. Young children may or may not like that information read to them, but parents and teachers should definitely explain to them after they read the story that the rabbits represent different tribes from different regions.

[Jesa Burgoyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screamathon
Bingo square: Wrong number
Prompt: number in the title

[Jannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this while white made me think "well this is cute, but I'm pretty sure this is a reference to the '1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little Indians' song, which I'm pretty sure isn't okay. But it looks like Grossman tried to do her research by writing about the different tribes the illustrations are based on, so maybe it's putting something bad into a new, better light?" And Publisher's Weekly wrote a review saying it features "authentic portrayals" of activities that Native Americans might have done at one point. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0...

And then I read Debbie Reese's blog post (from 10 YEARS AGO) here: https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
and realized maybe not enough research was done (Reese points out inaccuracies in at least 1 of the cultures.) And maybe perpetuating the stereotype from that old song wasn't a great idea. The illustrations, yes, are attractive, but objectification of someone else's culture isn't.

While this is just taking one positive and one negative review as examples, I need to keep trying to be as informed as possible when reading about cultures outside of my own.

[Jaime M · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son was quite tired when I read this book but I must admit that I kept reading it for myself even through his squirming around because I very much enjoyed the artwork.

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a lot of issues with this book. Some of the depictions and explanations are factually wrong. Even the explanation of the different tribes at the end is deceiving. Each tribe has an explanation and then one of the blankets is next to the explanation. Until I got to the last tribe description I thought each blanket was representative of the tribe it was next to but when reading the last description I found that the 10 blankets all belong to one tribe, the Navajo. Something that is unique to an entire tribe of people is reduced to nothing more than a graphic for the two page spread.

We need to continue to demand publishing publishes more books written by Ingenious people. They deserve an opportunity to share their own story instead of others telling their story.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand some of the concerns with this book, but it was one of the only books I could find in my system that (1) was short enough to read to my 18-month-old crowd and (2) covered the topic of Native Americans fairly respectfully. I've gone through more than 100 Native American picture books in my system in preparation for my storytimes this week, and I was only able to come up with 3 (in our system), including this one, that fit those 2 requirements. Hopefully by the next time I do this topic we'll have some even better ones to use.

[bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

My toddler liked this book a little better than I did. The illustrations are very pretty and detailed, and I thought it was neat that the rabbits were shown wearing different Native American blankets. There is also a section in the back that matches the blankets to the tribes that made the blankets.

[Johnathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal children’s book. Don’t let these “teachers” and the emotionally fragile reviewers tell you this is a horrible book. There is nothing wrong with these innocent and fun depictions of indians. If I wrote a book called 10 little flowers and included drawings of flowers, these same emotionally fragile/unstable reviewers would throw a tantrum that the book wasn’t written by a certified botanist. They would then kick and scream that my book misrepresented and held damaging views of flowers. Of course my book would then have to be banned and burned.

I will be reading this book to my future children and we will have fun singing 10 little indians, all while not being “racist” whatsoever!

[Nancy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having Native American children I am always looking for books that avoid the stereotypes but are also relatable. I purchased this in 2002 when my youngest was 18 months old (hardcover version). He loved to look at it. He would look through it at least once a day. When he didn't have it his older brother would find any excuse to "read it to him".

The illustrations are vibrant and colorful without being gaudy. The book covers the numbers 1 through 10 by featuring rabbits dressed in Native American regalia and doing traditional Native activities. The book is both culturally sensitive and educational.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique take on counting books [counting one to ten] with rabbits dressed in the regalia of various Native American tribes and participating in traditional tribal customs. A brief sentence or two on each tribe follows the story, providing very basic information about each tribe.

The simple rhyme is appropriate for young children and the illustrations on each page are colorful, encouraging the child to count the rabbits in each scene. In addition, the portrayal of characters in the story as Native Americans encourages the young child to explore the customs and traditions of another culture in a positive way.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a counting book with amazing, vibrant, colorful pictures!. Each rabbit that is added throughout the book has a beautiful, patterned southwestern blanket draped over their shoulders that represents a different southwestern American tribe. Kids love counting the rabbits on each page until there is a full 10 rabbits at the end. At the very back of the book, each blanket pattern is explained in relation to their Indian tribe and culture. I really like reading this book to small children and my only complaint is that book didn't have very good structural integrity and fell apart and the pages fell out.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge: Book-A-Day in May (4/31). This book creatively counters the original American children's counting rhyme, later song, by teaching children about the first indigenous people of the American US along with learning their numbers. Using the all-familiar and ubiquitous rabbit, this new rhyming story eschews generalization of Native Americans by representing their varied cultures to all children. Represented in the ten-count are the Sioux, Tewa, Ute, Menominee, Blackfoot, Hopi, Arapaho, Nez Perce, Kwakiutl, and the Navajo, with Navajo blanket designs used throughout the pages of the book and on the cover. Short details about each people are included after the illustrated poetic narrative of the story. The illustrations by Sylvia Long mix soft and contrasting bold colors well; media used not indicated.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rabbits as Native Americans.

Lovely counting book based on Native American traditions.
The child will learn to count to ten thanks to the matching text and illustrations, while learning about Native Americans.
There is a section at the end of the book describing in a few words the most popular Native American tribes.

Being someone who has donated small sums of money to Native Americans for years, I find this book a fantastic idea to get children acquainted with these proud people.

For preschoolers.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I obviously dig the Native American angle here, but I always find it funny with animals anthropomorphized in kids books where the use of it creates some fun logical questions/discrepancies. So they're fishing. Are they giant rabbits because the fish are small in relation and obviously not minnows? Rabbits are herbivores so is it creepy that they're eating fish? You gotta find the fun where you can.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. The intended audience is preschool. I guess the general criticism of cultural appropriation by a non-indigenous author would be considered. There’s an attempt to share the culture but somehow it just doesn’t sit right with me because it’s not coming from a place of authenticity. Hopi and Ute people should be telling their own stories not this pan-Indian stuff.

[charlene.librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is wonderfully illustrated by Sylvia Long. I expect that the illustration is respectful and accurate. I do love the exposure to Native American culture in this counting storybook. The added information at the back of the book details ten tribes and ten woven designs for future research and learning.

[Sydney Huntington-Strohm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book involves bunnies being apart of different Native American tribes. The pictures were well illustrated and showed what the Indian tribe does. To help maintain their life. This would be a good book for fifth graders to teach about culture and way of living. It will be easy for them to understand with the characters being bunnies instead of people.

[Brittney Cayford]

This is a great counting book that allows for visuals of stunning illustrations while counting from 1-10. This is also a multicultural book as all parts celebrate native american traditions. There is a glossary at the end of the picture book that has explanations of the different patterns that are shown in the pictures.

[Melinda Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This young child’s book is beautifully illustrated…however, bunnies dressed in Native regalia rubs this Native wrong. I fear it may misrepresent cultures it is intended to celebrate and share understanding of. I don’t believe the author or illustrator are tribal members? There are other books to help teach counting.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does little to fight the stereotypical imagery associated with generic "Indians" in children's literature. There is not enough explanation here to understand that there are different tribes that do these things. Well-intentioned, maybe?

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated counting book that highlights American Indian customs, art, and craft. It is more rewarding for the adult reader than the toddler learning to count, but the ability to count in a number of different ways is always a plus for a child's library.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, simple counting story woven with traditions and arts of Native Americans of the West. Gorgeous.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great counting book with a Native American theme.

[Whitney Leanhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning more about the Native American culture and what they celebrate. The ten little rabbits do a great job at this and display such great acts.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated counting book. Using rabbits, the author weaves each new number around Native American culture and art.

[Cyndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations on this count to ten picture book. There is a little bit of information about the native tribes represented in the book.

[Grace Paradis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that highlights Native American traditions, while also teaching students how to count to ten.

[Julie Allen]

Counting rhyme with illustrations of rabbits in Native American dress

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a cute book. Really good information about actual tribes at the end.

[Angela Casper Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites and the fact it features Native American tribes makes it more endearing to me.