Little Bookworm is equally fascinated with superheroes and animals. So we were really excited when we had the opportunity to review a new story about a team of animals who save the day. This children’s book about problem solving rabbits who help other animals is a fun story that also touches on themes of helping others, and forgiveness.

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Rescue Rabbits was written by Eric Seltzer and illustrated by Roland Garrigue. This story follows four cute rabbits who make up a team of animal rescuers called The Rescue Rabbits. Together, they travel to all kinds of habitats to help animals with issues ranging from illness to accidents. They use a variety of fascinating tools and vehicles to save the day. When they get a call from Prince Rex the Rhino, they have to use all of their skills to find him and save him from trouble.

Kids will love the silly situations the animals find themselves in, as well as the brightly colored illustrations full of big speech bubbles and imaginative inventions. The book inspired us to have some fun with rabbits, and think about inventions we would like to create.

Related Post: Superhero Rooster Saves the Day

Rabbit Hat

After reading this story, Little Bookworm really wanted to become a Rescue Rabbit too. So we decided to take some household items and make some easy rabbit costumes. To create our own rabbit ears, we took a paper plate and cut 3/4 of a circle on the inside of the plate’s rim.

Next, we lifted the center circle and folded it along the remaining 1/4 still attached to the plate border. Then we cut two bunny ear shapes out of the circle, and colored the middles of the ears pink. (You can save this piece of plate for the Rabbit Helicopter project below).Fold the ears forward and place the plate on your head so they point upwards from your head.

Rabbit Whiskers

To add to our rabbit costumes, we made these simple whiskers out of a chopstick, pipe cleaners, and a pom pom. Cut pipe cleaners into 4 inch pieces and wrap them around the end of the chopstick. Spread them out to look like whiskers, and then glue a pom pom to the top of the chopstick in front of the pipe cleaners. Kids can then hold the noses in front of their own to transform them into rabbits. For little ones who don’t like to wear masks directly on their faces, this is an easy way to include them in dressing up.

Rabbit Ear Helicopters

This is a fun STEM activity that my daughter loves to do, and we decided to add our own Rescue Rabbits spin to it. You can use paper or cardstock to create your own helicopter. or use the leftover piece of paper plate from the Rabbit Ears activity above. If you are using a piece of paper or cardstock, cut a rectangle shape about 3 inches wide.

Cut a slit down the middle of your rectangle, until about halfway down. This will create your Rabbit Helicopter’s ears. I colored in the center of our ears and added a face to one side. Fold one ear forward, and one ear backward. Then add a paper clip to the bottom of the rabbit’s face. You may need to add more paperclips if you are using lighter ones, or if your paper is lighter. Hold your helicopter high in the air and drop it. It should start spinning on the way down to the floor.

Related Post: Animals on a Mission: Chapter Books for Kids

Dramatic Play

Little Bookworm has always had an affinity for animals, and she loves pretending to save them from all kinds of trouble. This is an easy way to bring this book to life, and you can play all kinds of games with this. Try hiding some of their stuffed animals around the house, or placing them in “precarious” situations. Maybe they are stuck up a tree, or hanging from the back of the couch. Have your kids come up with scenarios to save them. They will have just as much fun coming up with their own “precarious” situations as they will saving the day.

Once the animals are saved, you could also have them check them out like veterinarians. We have played more vet office games than any other games. Give them a notebook to write down their observations and diagnoses, or print out a dramatic play form like these in the Babies to Bookworms shop. We like to place ours in a wipe off shield, so we can use them again and again.

Invention Journal

Throughout the story, the Rescue Rabbits use all kinds of fascinating inventions to save their animal friends. This inspired us to think of the different tools that we would build if we needed to save the animals. Print out this Free Inventions Journal to give kids a chance to brainstorm, think, and create their own inventions. You could even encourage them to bring their inventions to life with items around the house. Who knows what kind of amazing things they can come up with?

What is your favorite children’s book about problem solving or animals who help others? Share in the comments below!

More Posts You May Enjoy: