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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Rabbits + New Books by Cynthia Lord = A Giveaway by Kathy Halsey

Superstition says if a person says "rabbit" on the first day of the month, good luck will follow. Lucky for readers,  Cynthia Lord has two new rabbit books!  The picture book Borrowing Bunnies is out now; Because of the Rabbit, a middle grade, debuts March 26, 2019. Read on and leave a comment to win a copy of Borrowing Bunnies!
Book Reviews
Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale of Fostering Rabbits 
Written by Cynthia Lord
Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell 
Photographer  by John Bald
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
Ages: 3-6
Synopsis: From Amazon
In the spring of 2016, Peggotty and Benjamin were saved by Maine’s Cottontail Cottage Rabbit Rescue after their previous owners had neglected them. But before the two Netherland Dwarf rabbits could be adopted, Cynthia had to help them learn to trust people and feel safe inside a home. The bunnies slowly settled in, enjoying their clean pens, nibbling new foods, and playing with fun toys, while Cindy’s husband, John Bald, photographed Benjamin and Peggotty’s every step toward adoption. At that time, hundreds of viewers were drawn to Cindy’s Facebook page to watch their progress. Now, she has adapted the rabbits’ true story into a picture book that explores love, responsibility, empathy, and letting go―along with fostering’s many surprises, both big and small.
Why I love this book:
  • As a former school librarian,  I know most of the books on domesticated pets are from educational publisher and are sold as sets. Cynthia's narrative nonfiction stands apart in this crowd for the originality of design and inherent reader engagement. 
  • Illustrations and photos add a lively mix to the text. The close-ups John caught makes the reader want to reach out and pet these foster rabbits. 
  • Back matter on the pros and cons of ownership are a nice addition. (Warning: After enjoying this true rabbit tale, you may be smitten with bunny love. I am.)  


Because of the Rabbit


Written by Cynthia Lord
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 8-12
Synopsis: From Amazon
On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her game warden father on a routine call. They're supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night.
The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being homeschooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school. 
But things don't go as planned. On the first day of school, she's paired with a boy named Jack for a project. He can't stay on topic, he speaks out of turn, and he's obsessed with animals. Jack doesn't fit in, and Emma's worried he'll make her stand out.
Emma and Jack bond over her rescue rabbit. But will their new friendship keep Emma from finding the new best friend she's meant to have? 

Why I love this book:

  • This is a great middle grade for the young end of the MG audience.
  • Writers will appreciate how informative facts are woven through the narrative. (Read the "titles" of every chapter for rabbit facts!)
  • Because of the Rabbit includes original topics as well as familiar topics: fitting in, new school jitters, sibling issues as well as homeschooling vs. public school, being on the autism spectrum; the French-Canadian culture and tales of Monsieur Lapin.
  • Cynthia Lord creates realistic dialogue and shares the Emma's interior monologue to render a protagonist readers will root for.    
  • The novel shares a refreshing portrait of a close father- daughter relationship and parents who aren't necessarily antagonists.

Interview with Cynthia

K : It’s interesting you have two bunny books out roughly a month apart. Was the creation/genesis of each book different? I know that Borrowing Bunnies began with the photographic journey of fostering bunnies from your Facebook page.

Cynthia: My stories always begin with something from real life. In both cases, the books began with rabbits, but then the idea went into two directions: a novel and nonfiction. 

I’ve been involved in animal rescue for years. We’ve adopted three rescue bunnies and we also foster rabbits. Borrowing Bunnies,began when a foster rabbit gave birth at our house. My husband is a photographer so it felt like a nice opportunity to do a nonfiction book about fostering together. 

When I write novels, I’m always drawn to sharp contrasts. When opposites exist within a character, situation, or setting, conflict naturally occurs. Rabbits can be sweet, gentle, and timid, but they’re also clever, fast, escape artists. So that contrast appealed to me.  Because of the Rabbit begins when the main character and her dad find a stray rabbit. 

K: Your middle grade, Because of the Rabbit, also gives factual information about rabbits at the beginning of each chapter. Did you use the same research for both books?

Cynthia: Yes, though the research started years before either book. We adopted our first pair of rabbits five years ago, and I needed to learn about them in order to take good care of them. Rabbits are more complex than I first assumed. They have a strict social order and code, and in learning about that, I was amazed at the similarities and difference with our own human social codes.

K: I love the original designs for both books.  In Borrowing Bunnies, original photos taken by your husband John Bard are complemented by Hazel Mitchell's illustrations. In Because of the Rabbit, we find spot art and chapter beginnings with torn, notebook paper. Did you have input on that?

Cynthia: The combination of photographs and illustration in Borrowing Bunnies was the idea of our editor and art designer. Our editor Grace Kendall at FSG, wanted to show movement. That’s tricky in a photograph. For example, I describe a “binky” which is a joyful hop-twist. That’s hard to show in a photograph, because any image caught in mid-air doesn’t convey the right emotion. Designer Monique Sterling combined John’s photos and Hazel’s art in such an appealing, brilliant way.   

With Because of the Rabbit, I was fortunate to work with editors Kate Egan and Emily Seife and designer Nina Goffi at Scholastic. The ripped notebook-paper headings were their great idea!

Emily and Nina do give me the chance to offer my opinion on the design and cover art. I see that as a gracious gift, because not every author has that opportunity. I focus my response on two questions. “Does this reflect the story well?” and “Will kids like it?” For the cover of Because of the Rabbit, I showed our preliminary cover at some school visits and asked the kids to give me some honest feedback. When a potential cover flashes on the screen in a crowded gym, I know in the first two seconds if we have a winner. After that, the kids might try to please me, but those first couple seconds are their honest opinion. It’ll either be gasps and cheering or silence. 

K: Your motifs feel similar in both books. In Borrowing Bunnies, your foster rabbits move from shy to brave. In Because of the Rabbit, Emma must brave the transition from home schooling to public school. Did you plan this?

Cynthia: Wow, I hadn’t thought of that. I guess that’s a common theme in many of my books. I was a shy child and adults are constantly telling shy kids that’s not the way to be. 

We often insist that children try new things, and as adults we forget how hard that is. How often do we choose to try something new outside our comfort zone? But we have some power to say no that children often don’t have. 

In Because of the Rabbit, Emma goes to public school for the first time. So I looked for opportunities to do something new that scared and excited me—and to do it alone. For example, I signed up for a writing retreat on an island where I had only a few things in common with the other participants. Many of the other people already knew each other. As an adult, my impulse was to ask a friend to come with me so I’d have someone to sit with at lunch, etc. But I forced myself not to, because I knew the book would be better for it. So I went through that experience alone, as Emma did. As a writer, I paid attention. I listened to what I said, both out loud and to myself. I noticed what my body felt like. What choices I made. I kept asking myself, “Do I belong yet?” Many of those details went into the book, because whether you’re in your fifties or in fifth grade, the emotions are the similar.

K: I love this quote from Because of the Rabbit. “It’s a powerful thing to rescue something. It changes you both.” How did this idea apply to you when you began fostering rabbits?

    Cynthia: Every fostering experience has moved my heart outward. The rabbits and their new adoptive families are all special to me. I get photos and notes from those families, and it’s the best feeling to see a former foster bunny happy and loved in their new home. 

Not every moment in rescue is happy, though. Some rabbits come to us having experienced abuse and neglect. As a foster, I celebrate the successes knowing that sometimes our own best efforts aren’t enough. That’s the hardest thing I’ve had to face.

K: Many real life details/experiences are found in both books. This makes for a richer read. What writing advice do you have  on weaving personal experiences /passions into our work?

Cynthia: Start by thinking about things you care about and unique experiences you’ve had. Then choose something where you have some mixed feelings or parts of that experience that you don’t understand.  Something that brings up questions without easy answers.  That will bring conflict and make for a much richer story. 

Every important experience in our lives has more than one emotion. There’s the emotion that you expect to feel and it’s often easy to admit to. Then there’s another emotion in that same experience: a smaller, less socially-acceptable, harder one. Often the two feelings are opposites. The smaller, harder one is more difficult to admit to, but that’s the one that will add depth to your story. It’s also the one that children need someone to say for them.    

K: What's next for you?

Cynthia: This winter I’ve been working on a chapter book series. I also would like to do another picture book with my husband. So for fun, we’re working on a fiction photographic picture book about our two guinea pigs. 


Readers, spring into action and leave a comment to win a copy of Borrowing Bunnies signed by Cynthia Lord, John Bard, and Hazel Mitchell.  

43 comments:

  1. Cynthia Lord's heart shows in everything she writes, everything she does. How thankful I am to have this beautiful friend in my life! Thanks, Kathy, for inviting her over here.

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    1. Glad to see you here, Mona. You two indeed have a great friendship. I love her books and her heart, too.

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  2. I love how you took one subject and turned it into two very different books! Can't wait to check out those cute bunny pictures - we do photo shoots with our hamsters, which I imagine is equally difficult :)

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    1. Hi, Michele. Yes, one subject doing double duty - what a great idea for writers! Hamster photos must be hard to get, too.

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  3. This book looks so wonderful! Cannot wait to purchase it for the schools where I teach. ♥️

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  4. Kathy, I'm jealous you got to preview her new books! Wonderful interview. I think it's great Cynthia and her husband got to work together on this pb and creating one on their guinea pigs. I love her photos on Facebook. Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing the making of these two bunny books and sharing how we can turn our experiences into stories!

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    1. Tina, you, too, turn personal experience into great books! Ty for supporting this post. I love getting to read ARCs.

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  5. Finally got to see our copy of Borrowing Bunnies at the library I work at and everything about it is wonderful. The photos, illustrations, and story all went so we'll together to make such a unique and charming story.

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  6. Oh.... I missed hearing or noticing about Because of the Rabbit.I love the story of Cynthia's fostering bunnies so much. Terrific blog post I am saving! Thank you.

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  7. Sounds delightful! Love that you rescued the bunny!

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  8. I can't wait to share this book with my students to show them another way to love and help animals.

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    1. I know. there is so much we can do. Once you see these rabbits, you'll want your own.

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  9. This post makes me want to jump up & try a "binky" myself :)

    What especially stands out is how authentic connection to a topic, rules. These two projects represent no skimming or dipping a little into the territory, but years of solid elbow grease experience with the nitty-gritty.

    Having loved Cynthia's books for years (I never thought of her as "Cindy" before !) I know these are super. Appreciations & congrats. to all four creators on these books & also to you Kathy, for your incisive Qs.

    (I am exempting me from the giveaways.)

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    1. Jan, you make me blush. Yes, I'd love to see a bunny do a "binky."

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  10. Bunnies! The second to the last interview question shares ideas and thoughts for me to ponder--"thinking about things you care about and unique experiences you've had."

    I look forward to reading your books, Cynthia. Thank you, Kathy.

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    1. Garden Girl, you have a prairie book in you, I know it.

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  11. I admit that when Cindy got involved with rabbits and rescue, I had no idea what rabbits were like. I thought they were cute but didn't expect much from them emotionally. I've learned a lot since from Cindy's experiences and how much more involved their care is than I thought. Her new book "Borrowing Bunnies" will help kids learn those same things. I can't wait to read "Because of the Rabbit"!

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    1. Robin, I never knew how complicated bunny life was either. Love, love BECAUSE OF THE RABBIT. Ty for commenting.

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  12. What great books for kids (and adults) to learn compassion and caring. I never thought about bunny complexities and would love to learn more. (If I weren't allergic to bunnies, I think I'd raise one.) As a writer, I appreciate the advice at the end, too.

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    1. Juliana, glad you stopped by! I also loved getting this type of advice from published writers, like Cindy.

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  13. Of course I am looking forward to the bunny books, but Oh-My-Goodness there are GUINEA PIG books on the way? Hooray, hooray!

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    1. Cathy, I know - more cuteness overload for us the enjoy with the guinea pigs!

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  14. Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit! Thanks, Kathy and Cynthia, for this wonderful interview. I can't wait to read both books!

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    1. Know you'll enjoy them both, Sue. TY for supporting this post and commenting.

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  15. I can't wait to read BOTH of these. Thank you for sharing how you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone to feel those feelings again. Love that. I'm going to a writing class on my own this weekend and will pay attention to that!!

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  16. So excited to read Borrowing Bunnies!! Lovely interview, Kathy! I had no idea there was a bunny novel too, so thanks for the heads up. And I love guinea pigs too! :)

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    1. Excited to see that you read the blog post, Maria. I know how much you love animals and rescues!

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  17. I am reading Because of the Rabbit right now. It's great. I would love to read Borrowing Bunnies and then donate it to my granddaughter's charter school. Thanks for the opportunity.

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    1. Aww, what a kind gesture. Hope you win Borrowing Bunnies.

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  18. I raised bunnies! I can't wait to read the books. Terrific interview ladies. Thank you, Kathy and Cynthia :)

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  19. I'm starting to see bunnies everywhere...perhaps it's a sign of spring!?

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    1. HI, Jilanne. We can "hop" (hope) so. Spring please come soon.

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  20. Wonderful books! Cant wait to read them! Perfect timing too, with spring coming soon and lots of focus on fostering and adopting abandoned animals. Congratulations!

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    1. Yes, this book was timed perfectly. So many unthinking, but good-intentioned people give kids rabbits for Easter. They need to know what they're hopping into. Thanks for stopping by the GROG.

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  21. This is my kind of book--I rescue and foster rabbits (and have a house rabbit trio) so Borrowing Bunnies has been on my radar and of course I'm adding Because of the Rabbit to my ever expanding list!

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    1. Oh, another foster mom! Thanks for taking care of our furry friends. You will love both books. Hope (hop) you win.

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  22. Friends, I just received my copy of Burrowing Bunnies! So completely adorable and lovely! Kids will learn so much about bunnies and caring for animals when they read this book. Read at your own risk! (Because they will want to rescue and foster and adopt EVERY bunny they see - among other animals.) :) Thanks so much to this blog, Kathy Halsey, and Cynthia Lord, John Bald, and Hazel Mitchell! Autographed by all 3, which makes this copy even more special. Can't wait to share it with the kids in my life. Thank you!

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