The illustrations are engaging and inspiring. Pupils could very easily draw maps of Sunnytown or their own localities to serve as planning tools for their stories and even support locational knowledge in Geography lessons. They could choose to change the type of vehicle the bunnies travel in, or the animals they whizz past on their journey. The boom would lend itself well to alternate versions. Public transport can be a scary place for a human let alone a rabbit, with loud noises, new sights and people. However, sometimes taking your rabbit on a train or on the bus is unavoidable. You may need to take your rabbit to the vet, a rabbit fair, or even just to a friend or families house. Taking your rabbit on public transport might seem like a daunting experience. Rabbits are nervous creatures that can be scared easily, particularly when they’re away from their home. Try to avoid the train or bus during peak hours– the train or bus will be extra busy and noisy which will stress your rabbit out.

Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh - Publishers Weekly Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh - Publishers Weekly

Use your bunny’s favourite treats to entice him or her into their new travel cage. This way, he/she will associate it with positive things. c) Get your rabbit used to being in the carrier around the house. Work your way up to having your rabbit in its travel cage for at least 30 minutes. d) Do some short practice runs. Don’t take your rabbit out of the travel carrier– all of the people and the noises will likely stress him out. You want your rabbit to feel as at home in its travel carrier as possible. This will minimise stress as your rabbit won’t feel completely out of its comfort zone while on public transport. Instead, introduce the carrier during playtime, leaving door open so your rabbit can enter it on its own. b) Entice your rabbit in the carrier with treats.I can’t write this review without mentioning the stars of the story, the bunnies on the bus. The bunnies themselves are a right bunch of characters and it’s great that you can clearly see their different personalities through the images. There’s a mum bunny with her baby along with crazier younger bunnies all wanting an adventure! A romping, riotous read-aloud from best-selling author Philip Ardagh and award-winning illustrator Ben Mantle Rabbits are prone to getting stressed whilst travelling, especially on public transport. However, if you plan and prepare ahead, it can be a stress-free experience for you and your rabbit. We had so much fun following Bunnies on the Bus, and seeing what would happen! When you get to the end you’re definitely going to want to know what happens next! The rhyming text of this story make it a great class read aloud and it could also be used to inspire further writing in class. It’s bouncy rhythm, and use of rhyme and repeated phrases mean that pupils will take great delight in joining in as they become more familiar with the text.

Candlewick Press - Catalog

If you do need to take your rabbit on the train or bus, there are many things you can do to minimise stress for your furry friend. I actually wanted to read this during Easter (because bunnies), but I just wasn’t in the right mind for it. So here I am a day later and it is a happy belated Easter read.

The story is a very simple one and follows the crazy bus full of bunnies as it zips around the town causing all sorts of havok and not stopping anywhere until it gets to its destination. Inside the bunnies are just crazy, moving around, causing non-stop silliness as they laugh, jump, end up on the roof, and basically become a bit of a silly boistrous nuisance, much like some children can sometimes be when gathered in a large group and having fun. Each part of the story has a great rhyme to it and there is even some repetition of phrases like ‘Bunnies on the Bus’. The whole story, or bus ride, ends well too and will definitely spark the imagination of the antics the bunnies will get up to on the next part of their journey. Public transport can be a pretty unpredictable place, and the sounds, sights and smells of a busy bus or train can be scary and highly stressful for a rabbit. You also want to prevent your bunny from seeing any sudden movements which can give them a real fright.

Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh | Goodreads Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh | Goodreads

Just be sure that the blanket still allows adequate ventilation. Get Your Rabbit Used to it’s Travel Carrier. Bunnies on The Bus is a great fun read written by Philip Ardargh and illustrated by Ben Mantle. The bunnies are off on a madcap ride through the busy streets of Sunnytown. Watch out as they zoom around corners, whizz past shoppers and shoot past parks! Don’t forget to watch out for two sneaky squirrels on the run through the town! Bonded bunnies travel together– if you have a bonded pair of bunnies, put them in the same travel carrier. They will provide each other with comfort. The Highway Code. The idea that it’d ever be safe for me to sit behind the wheel of a car is a complete joke. Be sure to get an appropriate travel cage for your bunny weeks before your planned road trip. This way, you can spend time to make sure your rabbit feels safe and secure in its travel home.This is a hilarious read about a bunny bus driver who gets a whole bunch of happy and naughty bunnies in his bus and ends up having a whole party with them and driving like he is in the movie SPEED (for reals though, I do hope that he normally drives a bit more carefully and with less flying). This book has certainly made me smile. It’s so funny, has so much detail to see and you can’t help but enjoy the silly ending, and wonder how bad/hectic things could get in the place the bunnies are going next. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and I hope there are more like this! Watch out! Move out of the way! Hold onto your tails! There are … BUNNIES ON THE BUS! And they aren’t stopping for ANYONE!