Stressed Little Bun Bun Takes a Deep Breath
A brave bunny on a rescue quest learns about mindfulness and emotional regulation in the illustrative picture book Stressed Little Bun Bun Takes a Deep Breath.
In Stefanie Jubert’s heartfelt picture book Stressed Little Bun Bun Takes a Deep Breath, a nervous rabbit navigates his anxiety during a sea voyage.
When his older brother, Brave Mighty Bun Bun, embarks on a daring treasure hunt, Little Bun Bun battles his overwhelming fear for his brother while feeling left behind. When Brave Mighty Bun Bun sends word that he is trapped at a dangerous island, Little Bun Bun learns how to manage his anxiety in order to save his brother. Through a series of mindful breathing exercises, including “Bunny Breathing,” “Wave Breathing,” and “Dragon Breathing,” Little Bun Bun learns to regulate his emotions and endure his rescue adventure.
As Little Bun Bun braves several bonus missions—battling bee-filled fields, climbing high mountains, and fighting an angry lion—his feelings evolve from fear to courage, making way for triumph. Indeed, Little Bun Bun’s wide-eyed worries are handled in a tender manner, with his anxieties validated and transformed into empowerment at a thoughtful pace. Every challenge is punctuated by a breathing exercise. He learns that vulnerability isn’t a weakness and that courage isn’t the absence of fear.
Little Bun Bun’s breathing practices are introduced in a manner that teeters between the second- and third-person perspectives: “Brave Mighty Bun Bun’s in terrible trouble, [but] Stressed Little Bun Bun is stuck in a bubble. Remind Little Bun Bun to breathe like a bunny.” The lyrical rhyme scheme perpetuates a playful tone, though some of the rhyming combinations are awkward, disrupting the overarching cadence, as with “X marks the spot. That’s where I’m caught.”
Soft color palettes reinforce the book’s themes of mindfulness and emotional regulation. For example, muted tones depict Little Bun Bun’s anxious moments, while warmer hues return as he gains confidence. Dynamic water compositions and subtle shading techniques add a tangible sense of movement to the story’s oceanic scenes. Spot illustrations demonstrating the breathing exercises function as an uncluttered guide to the mechanics of each practice, balancing the more vivacious, full-page spreads of Little Bun Bun’s quest.
A rabbit overcomes his fears through mindfulness practices in the empowering and educational picture book Stressed Little Bun Bun Takes a Deep Breath.
Reviewed by
Brooke Shannon
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
