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Rabbits, Rabbits & More Rabbits
There's a lot more to these cuddly creatures than just being adorable!
Sure, they have fluffy coats and wiggly noses, but rabbits also have remarkable instincts which they need in order to detect and then escape from their enemies. They can see better in the dark than people. By thumping their powerful hind legs, they can warn one another that danger is near.
With colorful illustrations, diagrams, and unusual facts, award-winning science author Gail Gibbons shows young readers that there is much more to these cuddly creatures than meets the eye. The book includes instructions for caring for pet rabbits.
Sure, they have fluffy coats and wiggly noses, but rabbits also have remarkable instincts which they need in order to detect and then escape from their enemies. They can see better in the dark than people. By thumping their powerful hind legs, they can warn one another that danger is near.
With colorful illustrations, diagrams, and unusual facts, award-winning science author Gail Gibbons shows young readers that there is much more to these cuddly creatures than meets the eye. The book includes instructions for caring for pet rabbits.
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2000
About the author
Gail Gibbons
188 books170 followersFrom gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 8, 2020
Alright so I happened to come across some of the pages of this book, and those pages were enough to have me write a review. If it turns out that on the other pages my points are made, then I apologize and will adjust my review accordingly.
The facts and information I saw about rabbits was factual, and very informative. For me it even helped in finding the proper English words.
However, it gets problematic when it gets to the part about holding a rabbit as a pet.
And that's where it goes wrong immediately.
Rabbits are not supposed to be kept alone. I know that the USA is still very on the fence about this, but let me tell you: my first bunny was very happy alone, but when we got him a girlfriend he was so. much. happier! So why take that joy away from them? The 24/7 companionship that you can't give them, so they won't get lonely. The love between two rabbits who speak the same language. Please note however, that two males, or two females rarely go well together. It doesn't matter if they are family. It doesn't matter that they grew up together. Chances are very likely they'll eventually turn on each other, so choose safe and go for a castrated male and a (spayed) female.
And then there are the pictures.
Of a single bunny in a tiny cage/hutch.
Without any mention of letting them out to run free, even if in an enclosure.
Rabbits need to stretch their paws! To have a cage where your rabbit can 'stretch out' is nowhere near big enough, especially when it's so low they can't even stand up properly on their hind legs. Take into account that they should be with at least two, and these cages are way, way too small as a permanent place to live. If you have a cage like this, that features as a place to sleep, a place of safety, that's fine; as long as they can get out of that cage whenever they want. No 'but I let them out when I'm with them'. They need to always be able to get out, because trust me, they need more time than that. They are most active at night, and what if you're out all day? So make sure they can always go out. There are plenty of ways to create an enclosed space for them so they can run around and even jump, without hitting their noses on the opposite of the cage.
Then, they mention wood shavings. Another no go. Rabbits don't handle the dust well that comes off these shavings, and easily contract colds, which can lead to snot, which, by the way, is often lethal. Most things that can happen to a rabbit are lethal. When they are healthy, they are very easy to care for (though they take a lot more care than you might expect), but when something's wrong, chances are things are very wrong. They are very delicate creatures, and a lot can kill them, so try to give your rabbits a home in which as much as possible is prevented.
The toilets, however, were a great mention. Just make sure to put different bedding in the toilets than in the rest of the cage, so they know where it's okay to do their business. You can potty train rabbits at any age, but they will very likely decide the spot of the toilet, and it can take a lot of patience.
They also mentioned a nesting hut, to be filled with hay to make a nice nest. Any shelter will do. Rabbits like to be covered when feeling unsafe, or wanting to rest. They also prefer to have at least two entry points so they can't be locked in easily. Hay is great, but as it's their most important source of food, it might be better to put straw in there. Be careful not to make it too hot during the summer, as overheating is incredibly dangerous. Also be careful to put in enough straw during the winter, as, who guessed it, underheating is also incredibly dangerous.
This also means that if your rabbit lives inside, they can't go out to play in winter, as they don't have the required winter fur for that. If your rabbit lives outside, don't take them inside when it gets cold. Because of their winter fur, the temperatures inside your home are way too hot for them, and rabbits can't sweat. If you feel like the hutch of your rabbit is in a particularly windy spot, moving them into a barn/shelter of some sort, is fine. As long as the temperature is about the same as outside.
Lastly, I don't know what this book mentions regarding how to feed your rabbits, but I don't have much hope seeing what else they've been telling, so here goes:
1) Rabbits always need access to water and hay. Always. In abundance. Hay is the most important part of their diet, and they could live on nothing but hay if necessary (which it sometimes is, but I won't go into that)
2) After hay, vegetables are the most important. Let your rabbits get used to every new vegetable slowly, or you'll mess with their digestive system, and you'll have a sick rabbit on your hands. Also make sure that what you want to feed them isn't poisonous. Endive and chicory are usually a safe bet. Carrots are loaded with sugar, so make sure not to give them too much. Contrary to popular belief, this is not healthy for rabbits. The same goes for (safe) fruits: they are sugar bombs, so treat it as if it were candy.
3) Pellets. I know they look boring: brown/grayish sticks, but they are the best that you can give them, if you want to give them pellets at all. Don't give the fun mixed food, as the rabbits will just pick out what they like and leave the rest, meaning they won't get all the things they need. They don't need much of these pellets, they could easily live without, so don't overfeed them. They need to eat their morning droppings to get all the vitamins and stuff they need, and if they've eaten too much, they'll leave those droppings.
Important: If you are changing your rabbits' food, do so gradually, just like letting them get used to new veggies. If you switch immediately, their digestive systems will not be okay with it.
Last but not least:
Rabbits are not cuddly creatures. They may look like them, but they are generally not cuddly at all, unless with other rabbits. Of course there are rabbits who love to cuddle, but they are exceptions. This means that they are not very good pets for (small) children. Most rabbits do not like being petted, and almost all rabbits hate being picked up, as it's the same as being caught by a bird to them. They are prey animals and behave as such. This does not mean they are boring, or that you can't do anything with them. It just means that you have to respect your rabbits' wishes. They will not thank you kindly for forcing them to do things they do not like.
OH ONE OTHER THING:
DON'T GET RABBITS FROM A PET SHOP. And generally don't listen to what they have to say.
Look for shelters and rescues; I know that here in the Netherlands we got quite a few specific shelters and rescues for rabbits, and they are always overfull. All these bunnies deserve good homes and a mate. A big plus to getting rabbits from shelters: their characters are known, whereas getting a baby rabbit is a gamble. Shelters here will also help your rabbit find a mate, and often there are even ready couples waiting to be adopted! Keep in mind that your rabbit chooses their mate, and not you. You might give a preference, but in the end, your rabbit decides. You can't force two rabbits together, as you'll end up with one dead rabbit, if you're lucky. With two dead rabbits if you're not.
If a shelter is not an option, look for a proper breeder, or someone who accidentally had a litter. The rabbits in the shops mostly come from people who breed for money, and whose rabbits have terrible lives, if you can call them lives at all. If these animals do not get sold, they either get killed by the shop owners, or they get sold on for snake food, or they go back to the breeder where there won't be a happier ending waiting for them. So don't go to one of those breeders either. Look around, ask around, and make careful decisions.
Rabbits can live up to 10 years old easily, so know what you're getting into. They're not hamsters, rats, mice, who only have short lives. Get all the information you can, and ask other rabbit owners. Educate yourself properly. The rabbits deserve it.
Gail Gibbons might be an award winning science author, but they clearly know nothing about keeping rabbits.
The facts and information I saw about rabbits was factual, and very informative. For me it even helped in finding the proper English words.
However, it gets problematic when it gets to the part about holding a rabbit as a pet.
And that's where it goes wrong immediately.
Rabbits are not supposed to be kept alone. I know that the USA is still very on the fence about this, but let me tell you: my first bunny was very happy alone, but when we got him a girlfriend he was so. much. happier! So why take that joy away from them? The 24/7 companionship that you can't give them, so they won't get lonely. The love between two rabbits who speak the same language. Please note however, that two males, or two females rarely go well together. It doesn't matter if they are family. It doesn't matter that they grew up together. Chances are very likely they'll eventually turn on each other, so choose safe and go for a castrated male and a (spayed) female.
And then there are the pictures.
Of a single bunny in a tiny cage/hutch.
Without any mention of letting them out to run free, even if in an enclosure.
Rabbits need to stretch their paws! To have a cage where your rabbit can 'stretch out' is nowhere near big enough, especially when it's so low they can't even stand up properly on their hind legs. Take into account that they should be with at least two, and these cages are way, way too small as a permanent place to live. If you have a cage like this, that features as a place to sleep, a place of safety, that's fine; as long as they can get out of that cage whenever they want. No 'but I let them out when I'm with them'. They need to always be able to get out, because trust me, they need more time than that. They are most active at night, and what if you're out all day? So make sure they can always go out. There are plenty of ways to create an enclosed space for them so they can run around and even jump, without hitting their noses on the opposite of the cage.
Then, they mention wood shavings. Another no go. Rabbits don't handle the dust well that comes off these shavings, and easily contract colds, which can lead to snot, which, by the way, is often lethal. Most things that can happen to a rabbit are lethal. When they are healthy, they are very easy to care for (though they take a lot more care than you might expect), but when something's wrong, chances are things are very wrong. They are very delicate creatures, and a lot can kill them, so try to give your rabbits a home in which as much as possible is prevented.
The toilets, however, were a great mention. Just make sure to put different bedding in the toilets than in the rest of the cage, so they know where it's okay to do their business. You can potty train rabbits at any age, but they will very likely decide the spot of the toilet, and it can take a lot of patience.
They also mentioned a nesting hut, to be filled with hay to make a nice nest. Any shelter will do. Rabbits like to be covered when feeling unsafe, or wanting to rest. They also prefer to have at least two entry points so they can't be locked in easily. Hay is great, but as it's their most important source of food, it might be better to put straw in there. Be careful not to make it too hot during the summer, as overheating is incredibly dangerous. Also be careful to put in enough straw during the winter, as, who guessed it, underheating is also incredibly dangerous.
This also means that if your rabbit lives inside, they can't go out to play in winter, as they don't have the required winter fur for that. If your rabbit lives outside, don't take them inside when it gets cold. Because of their winter fur, the temperatures inside your home are way too hot for them, and rabbits can't sweat. If you feel like the hutch of your rabbit is in a particularly windy spot, moving them into a barn/shelter of some sort, is fine. As long as the temperature is about the same as outside.
Lastly, I don't know what this book mentions regarding how to feed your rabbits, but I don't have much hope seeing what else they've been telling, so here goes:
1) Rabbits always need access to water and hay. Always. In abundance. Hay is the most important part of their diet, and they could live on nothing but hay if necessary (which it sometimes is, but I won't go into that)
2) After hay, vegetables are the most important. Let your rabbits get used to every new vegetable slowly, or you'll mess with their digestive system, and you'll have a sick rabbit on your hands. Also make sure that what you want to feed them isn't poisonous. Endive and chicory are usually a safe bet. Carrots are loaded with sugar, so make sure not to give them too much. Contrary to popular belief, this is not healthy for rabbits. The same goes for (safe) fruits: they are sugar bombs, so treat it as if it were candy.
3) Pellets. I know they look boring: brown/grayish sticks, but they are the best that you can give them, if you want to give them pellets at all. Don't give the fun mixed food, as the rabbits will just pick out what they like and leave the rest, meaning they won't get all the things they need. They don't need much of these pellets, they could easily live without, so don't overfeed them. They need to eat their morning droppings to get all the vitamins and stuff they need, and if they've eaten too much, they'll leave those droppings.
Important: If you are changing your rabbits' food, do so gradually, just like letting them get used to new veggies. If you switch immediately, their digestive systems will not be okay with it.
Last but not least:
Rabbits are not cuddly creatures. They may look like them, but they are generally not cuddly at all, unless with other rabbits. Of course there are rabbits who love to cuddle, but they are exceptions. This means that they are not very good pets for (small) children. Most rabbits do not like being petted, and almost all rabbits hate being picked up, as it's the same as being caught by a bird to them. They are prey animals and behave as such. This does not mean they are boring, or that you can't do anything with them. It just means that you have to respect your rabbits' wishes. They will not thank you kindly for forcing them to do things they do not like.
OH ONE OTHER THING:
DON'T GET RABBITS FROM A PET SHOP. And generally don't listen to what they have to say.
Look for shelters and rescues; I know that here in the Netherlands we got quite a few specific shelters and rescues for rabbits, and they are always overfull. All these bunnies deserve good homes and a mate. A big plus to getting rabbits from shelters: their characters are known, whereas getting a baby rabbit is a gamble. Shelters here will also help your rabbit find a mate, and often there are even ready couples waiting to be adopted! Keep in mind that your rabbit chooses their mate, and not you. You might give a preference, but in the end, your rabbit decides. You can't force two rabbits together, as you'll end up with one dead rabbit, if you're lucky. With two dead rabbits if you're not.
If a shelter is not an option, look for a proper breeder, or someone who accidentally had a litter. The rabbits in the shops mostly come from people who breed for money, and whose rabbits have terrible lives, if you can call them lives at all. If these animals do not get sold, they either get killed by the shop owners, or they get sold on for snake food, or they go back to the breeder where there won't be a happier ending waiting for them. So don't go to one of those breeders either. Look around, ask around, and make careful decisions.
Rabbits can live up to 10 years old easily, so know what you're getting into. They're not hamsters, rats, mice, who only have short lives. Get all the information you can, and ask other rabbit owners. Educate yourself properly. The rabbits deserve it.
Gail Gibbons might be an award winning science author, but they clearly know nothing about keeping rabbits.
August 21, 2021
I ran across this book at the library the other day and immediately picked it up. As a house rabbit owner, you do that. However, I was horrified and sad at the "advice" given at the end of the book for care of a house rabbit. Most of it, if not every bit of it, was sadly incorrect and dangerous to house rabbits. Please, find other sources for rabbit care information if your family chooses to take in a house rabbit. First and foremost, a rabbit is not a small child-friendly pet. Rabbits are wonderful, adorable, lovable pets. But, they simply are not a child's pet.
Carmen (TheReadingTrashQueen)'s review goes extensively into why the author's care fact page is wrong. I won't repeat what she said, rather encourage you to check out her review.
For further rabbit care information, I highly recommend the Rabbit House Society as a starting point. www.rabbit.org
Carmen (TheReadingTrashQueen)'s review goes extensively into why the author's care fact page is wrong. I won't repeat what she said, rather encourage you to check out her review.
For further rabbit care information, I highly recommend the Rabbit House Society as a starting point. www.rabbit.org
September 1, 2024
I have to say I had high hopes for this book. This book turned out to be just alright though. The illustrations were nice and I liked the style. It also also shows what different rabbits look like , but I have to say it only gives very VERY little information on how to properly care for a rabbit. I hope that if someone is thinking about getting a pet rabbit then they definitely should read more books then just this one.
Overall this makes for a good night time story but I think that is mostly all it is.
Overall this makes for a good night time story but I think that is mostly all it is.
August 27, 2026
I love rabbits, so when I saw this I had to give it a gander. Gibbons is great about getting a lot of easily digestible info into a book for kids. I love the variety of breeds discussed and the facts about the rabbits. The line art is both very accurate but also has a juvenile wiggly-ness to it that gives it character. Very cute.
March 11, 2021
A simple yet informative non fiction story about the types f rabbits and how to care for a pet rabbit.
April 12, 2022
Great informational text about rabbits at the elementary level. Gail Gibbons are the best.
December 20, 2023
It’s a good book because it tells me about rabbits and I like learning and reading about animals. I suggest this book for kids ages 7 and up.🐰🐰🐰
May 24, 2024
Overall decent. Although it definitely needs updated! Rabbits should not have water bottles, always a dish, and their cage should be minimum 16 sq feet.
March 8, 2025
It’s fine. Nothing horribly wrong, just a little on the blah/boring side. Definitely not my favorite Gibbons book.
March 18, 2020
The master of nonfiction for kids has updated her book about rabbits and it is thorough! If you have a kid who loves rabbits or, better yet, has a pet rabbit then this book is a must. It covers everything about rabbits and caring for rabbits that you could think of and plenty you haven't considered. Gail Gibbons has a whole series of these Explore the World books. They aren't action packed or particularly lyrically, but they are clear, concise, and bursting with interesting information. Add this to your spring book collection or hand it to the bunny lover in your life!
October 21, 2012
PB 38: This nonfiction book was okay. It was all about rabbits with lots of facts. It wasn't particularly interesting, it was just informational.
February 12, 2014
This book would be cute if you were to get a class pet rabbit to give the students some information about rabbits and how to take care of rabbits
Read
June 6, 2018I picked this book because I remember having to do a animal report in 5th grade science class. The only thing I remember from that report was I did it on the jack rabbit. I wanted to see if any knowledge came back.....Nope. Learned a lot.
Hares and rabbits are different types of leporids. Hares are wild, are born with their eyes open and with fur and have a large body frame. Rabbits (wild or tame) are born with their eyes closes and with no fur and have a smaller body frame.
A great explanation about how to care for pet rabbits.
Hares and rabbits are different types of leporids. Hares are wild, are born with their eyes open and with fur and have a large body frame. Rabbits (wild or tame) are born with their eyes closes and with no fur and have a smaller body frame.
A great explanation about how to care for pet rabbits.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews