Customer Reviews

Honey Bunny Funnybunny (Beginner Books(R))

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Although I do not often become too excited about the negative aspects of children's book, I feel the negatives in this one outweigh the positive.

Little sister learns that the wrong kind of attention is better than no attention at all; that you can EITHER be abused or neglected. That having polka dots painted on your face (or maybe scratches or bruises) is some kinds of a sign of affection or love.

Brother learns that withholding love makes you a winner and makes you so you never have to apologize.

These "lessons" are shown everyday in our schoolyards where our kids are teased cruelly. We don't need books, let alone children's books, to show us this, to extol this.

This book does not send a message in line with other Seuss books such as Horton Hears a Who and The Lorax. The stories written by Dr Seuss were either nonsensical fun, or morality stories wrapped in made-up language that appeals to children. The story of Hunnybunny Funnybunny by Margaret Sadler is neither. While on the surface it is a tale of sibling rivalry, it really is more about preferring negative attention rather than none at all.

PJ Funnybunny's "teasing" of his sister Hunnybunny is sometimes silly, but sometimes legitimately punishable offenses. How many parents would laugh if their child "poured mashed carrots" on his or her sibling's head "everynight" as PJ does to Hunnybunny? Or if one sibling painting the others' face during the night? And the Funnybunny parents do nothing until Hunnybunny finally complains? It is very sad when in the end Hunnybunny translates this persistent torture into "love", preferring it to PJ's disregard, and her mother reinforces this. We can only assume that after Hunnybunny hugs her brother for painting her face bright blue while she slept, he goes back to humiliating her in various ways.

The parents who laugh this off as a funny, harmless story are forgetting that self-esteem is built when children are very young. How they are treated by their parents and siblings shapes how they allow others in their lives to treat them. My husband bought this (without reading it first, as we usually do) because my daughter asked for it (because the cover is pink). He was horrified when he read it, as was I. We have removed it from our children's book collection, because this story reinforces negative behavior and reactions to that behavior. I not only do not recommend it, I steer people away from it at every opportunity.

This is a wonderful book for children if you want boys to think it is their right to abuse girls and for girls to think they have to endure abuse in order to be accepted. It teaches boys that to withhold affection is the key to success. I really can't believe that a female wrote this book, as it is about as blatantly chauvinistic and "old school thinking" as I have read in years. Children are impressionable by what they see on television and what they read; to think otherwise is having your head buried in the sand. This book does not portray acceptable behavioral patterns for people of any age.

To excuse the bizarre and inappropriate storyline of this book as the product of deranged and PC minds is ridiculous. I actually read the stroy several times to my young son before I actually thought about what it was saying. Basically the young female only feels that her brother loves her if he mistreats her! The amount of abuse he seems to heap on her seems excessive and cruel. Even more so, in fact than painting her face. That she misses this attention seems disturbing to say the least.

I have passed this book around to several adult acquaintances and simply asked them to take a look at it and most have had the same reaction.

I also thought of writing to the publisher - but am contenting myself with this.

We bought this book for my daughter based on the Dr. Seuss logo on the cover and the cute illustration of the little girl bunny rabbit. While the book's exterior is innocent enough, I'm very dubious about the message this children's story sends to young girls, such as my 6-year-old daughter.

The story involves a big brother bunny, P.J., and his little sister, Honeybunny, whom he torments relentlessly. He stops when he is punished by his parents for some particularly egregious prank and then completely ignores his little sister. On one page he is shown haughtily ignoring Honeybunny, obviously in retaliation for the "crime" of reporting one of his viscious pranks.

Eventually, Honeybunny becomes depressed that she's no longer getting attention from her abusive older brother. At the conclusion, she is relieved when P.J. once again resumes his cruel pranks by painting her face during her sleep.

What sort of message is this story supposed to send to young girls? That they should tolerate, even welcome cruel and abusive behavior from male family members and by extension, males with whom they develop relationships?

I consider myself a pretty easygoing person and I don't mean to make too much of a children's book, but kids can be impressionable, and I was very disturbed by the message this books conveys to children, especially girls. I've long considered writing the publisher and complaining, but for now this forum will have to do.

I really can't stand this book, would never buy it for any child, and would give it negative stars if I could. It gives an awful message, especially to young girls, that abusive behavior is a sign of love. I can't imagine why anyone would want to read this story to a child.

This truly IS a terrible book. I am one to really harp on parents not taking childrens' books so seriously (read my other reviews about The Giving Tree and The Rainbow Fish), but this one really is twisted. I can only assume this is how the author views male-female relationships for her to even consider writing something such as this.

I have only read one other book in the series-- It's Not Easy Being a Bunny. I enjoyed that one. I thought it was a really cute story. I purchased it from Ebay and a page was ripped, so the seller replaced it and said they were sending this book for my trouble. I read the reviews and was tempted to tell her no tto bother, but I figured the reviewers were reading into it too much like other books I have reviewed.

Sadly, that was not the case. I got it several days ago and got around to reading it last night after my son went to bed. Regardless of the reviews I have read, I would have felt the same way about the book.

The story is about Honey Bunny Funnybunny and how her brother always teases her--painting her face in her sleep, scaring her, etc. That isn't what bothered me. Everyone knows, even children, that kids tease kids. It's just how kids are. Even adults tease each other. What bothered me about the story is that in the beginning Honey Bunny was so angry at him for treating her that way that he eventually stopped and did his own thing, sort of ignoring her and playing with friends instead. She then started saying how he didn't love her anymore because he was no longer teasing her. Her mom said it wasn't true and to go look in the mirror--and she had paint on her face once again. It wouldn't have been so sick had it been worded differently. But the look of horror on her face when she thinks he doesn't love her because of his lack of teasing and how her mother says of course he does and then she sees the paint...that is just sick. Even a little kid would be able to see that Honey Bunny clearly WANTS to be teased because that is love to her. Yes, there is a degree of love to teasing, but you will just have to read this book for yourself to understand.

Don't buy it...read it at a store or library...you'll regret you wasted your money. I'll never read this to my toddler.

I bought this book packaged along with 2 other Dr. Suess books I wanted. When I read Honey Bunny Funnybunny to my 5 yr old daughter, I quickly decided we would not be keeping the book. Honey Bunny is teased unmercifully by her older brother. When she objects her parents intervene. They tell her brother to stop teasing her, but do not explain to her brother that there are better ways to show love, and that teasing is cruel and benefits no one. So brother withdraws his attention from Honey Bunny and she decides teasing is better than no attention at all. I feel this is a very bad message that teasing is OK. Teasing is not OK. Teasing is cruel. Perhaps a different sort of book would model for young boys how to really show love instead of reinforcing that they can just act mean instead.

All of the other negative reviews do a good job of describing what is wrong with this book. The vaguely cute illustrations are not sufficient to outweigh its negative messages about teasing and how to respond to it. This does not live up to the Dr. Seuss imprint. It is true that one COULD use this book as a way to broach the subject of teasing, but it seems like there are better ways to do it. I warn any potential buyers to preview the book before giving it as a gift. We are throwing away our copy.

This is a terrible book. I purchased this as part of a series of books for beginner readers in the Dr. Seuss series. Four adults have read this book and we all agree that this is really sick stuff.

The little sister bunny is the subject of verbal teasing and physical tricks such as "smashing carrots" on her head at the dinner table. (Real lovely and funny, huh?) More tricks and nasty deeds follow. They go noticed by the parents until one final act and little sister tattles on her brother. Only then do the parents tell the older brother to leave her alone. They don't explain why what he is doing is bad. They don't ask him to apologize and he does not apologize. He chooses to abandon her and go play with other friends and basically ignore her for a while. Mother explains that "he is playing with friends" instead of spending time with her. She gets lonely and tells her mother that his lack of abuse on her is a sign of his not loving her anymore. The mother says that he does love her and shows her that he has resumed his abuse on her by painting her face with paint again. Little sister is happy and gives her brother a hug. Mother must also be happy as she disappears at that point and mother does not.

This is the most negative children's book that I have ever read to date, and the only book that I have ever read that approves of verbal and even physical abuse. This is an illustration of how a sibling relationship should not be. And especially a relationship between older brother and younger sister. I have no idea why this book was allowed to be published. This is definitely one for the trash heap. I will not donate this copy to the library or even sell it to a used book store as I don't want this terrible message taught to preschool aged children (the audience it is written for).

I am a mother who wants to raise her boys not to be violent, that teasing is not all right, name-calling does hurt, and physical abuse of other humans is not permitted and is not allowed by our society. I am raising my boys to learn to communicate well with others, admit their mistakes, and apologize when they are wrong. I am sensitive to the messages that we give our children through books, television, and also by viewing how adults interact with each other. There are better books out there to teach the lessons that tormenting others is not alright-I do not feel that this book is a good springboard for discussion even if the discussion is to address abuse and what constitutes a healthy relationship. And some wonder where our children learn violence and that dysfunctional relationships are the norm....this is one book that young children learn it from.