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The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
The country bunny attains the exalted position of Easter Bunny in spite of her responsibilities as the mother of twenty-one children.
48 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 1939
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2349 people want to read
About the author
DuBose Heyward
72 books22 followersDramatization in 1927 of
Porgy
(1925), novel of American writer Edwin DuBose Heyward based
Porgy and Bess
, folk opera of George Gershwin.
This best known work of this white author based the namesake play, which he co-authored with his wife Dorothy Heyward, and in turn this music.
Thomas Heyward, Jr., his ancestor, signed Declaration of Independence of the United States and served as a representative of South Carolina. As a child and young man, frequently ill Heyward also caught polio at eighteen years of age, then contracted typhoid fever at twenty years of age, and fell ill with pleurisy in the following year. He described as "a miserable student," uninterested in learning and dropped high school in his first year at fourteen years of age despite a lifelong and serious interest in literature; writing verses and stories, he passed the time in his sickbed.
In 1913, Heyward wrote a one-act play, An Artistic Triumph , produced in a local theater. This minor success on derivative work reportedly showed little promise but encouraged him to pursue a literary career. In 1917, he, convalescing from his illnesses, began to devote seriously to fiction and poetry. In 1918, his first published short story, "The Brute," appeared in Pagan, a Magazine for Eudaemonists. In the next year, he met Hervey Allen, then teaching at the nearby Porter military academy. They became close friends and formed the Poetry Society of South Carolina, which helped spark a revival of southern literature; Heyward edited the society's yearbooks until 1924 and contributed much of their content. His poetry was well received, earning him a Contemporary Verse award in 1921. In 1922 he and Allen jointly published a collection, Carolina Chansons: Legends of the Low Country and they jointly edited a southern issue of Poetry magazine. During this period Heyward and a friend, Henry T. O'Neill, had operated a successful insurance and real estate company and by 1924 Heyward had achieved a measure of financial independence, allowing him to give up business and devote himself full time to literature. Between stints of writing he supplemented his income by lecturing on southern literature at colleges.[3]
The poet and playwright Langston Hughes said Heyward was one who saw "with his white eyes, wonderful, poetic qualities in the inhabitants of Catfish Row that makes them come alive."[4] Biographer James M. Hutchisson characterizes Porgy as "the first major southern novel to portray blacks without condescension" and states that the libretto to Porgy and Bess was largely Heyward's work.[citation needed] Many critics have believed that Heyward was sympathetic in his portrayal of the Southern black. Others, however, have noted that the characters in Porgy, though viewed sympathetically, are still viewed for the most part as stereotypes.[citation needed]
Heyward and his wife Dorothy, whom he met at the MacDowell Colony in 1922, spent many years in Charleston, where he taught at the Porter Military Academy, while observing and thinking deeply about the lives of blacks of that area. His mother participated in an amateur Southern singing society performing Gullah songs, and he sometimes joined her. It was open to anyone whose family had lived on a plantation, whether as owner or slave.[citation needed] In Charleston, Heyward found inspiration for his book, including what would become the setting (Catfish Row) and the main character (a disabled man named Porgy). Literary critics cast Heyward as an authority on Southern literature, later writing, "Heyward's attention to detail and reality of the Southern black's lifestyle was not only sympathetic but something that no one had ever seen done before."[citation needed]
Opening on Broadway in 1927, the non-musical play "Porgy" was a considerable success, more so than the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess e
This best known work of this white author based the namesake play, which he co-authored with his wife Dorothy Heyward, and in turn this music.
Thomas Heyward, Jr., his ancestor, signed Declaration of Independence of the United States and served as a representative of South Carolina. As a child and young man, frequently ill Heyward also caught polio at eighteen years of age, then contracted typhoid fever at twenty years of age, and fell ill with pleurisy in the following year. He described as "a miserable student," uninterested in learning and dropped high school in his first year at fourteen years of age despite a lifelong and serious interest in literature; writing verses and stories, he passed the time in his sickbed.
In 1913, Heyward wrote a one-act play, An Artistic Triumph , produced in a local theater. This minor success on derivative work reportedly showed little promise but encouraged him to pursue a literary career. In 1917, he, convalescing from his illnesses, began to devote seriously to fiction and poetry. In 1918, his first published short story, "The Brute," appeared in Pagan, a Magazine for Eudaemonists. In the next year, he met Hervey Allen, then teaching at the nearby Porter military academy. They became close friends and formed the Poetry Society of South Carolina, which helped spark a revival of southern literature; Heyward edited the society's yearbooks until 1924 and contributed much of their content. His poetry was well received, earning him a Contemporary Verse award in 1921. In 1922 he and Allen jointly published a collection, Carolina Chansons: Legends of the Low Country and they jointly edited a southern issue of Poetry magazine. During this period Heyward and a friend, Henry T. O'Neill, had operated a successful insurance and real estate company and by 1924 Heyward had achieved a measure of financial independence, allowing him to give up business and devote himself full time to literature. Between stints of writing he supplemented his income by lecturing on southern literature at colleges.[3]
The poet and playwright Langston Hughes said Heyward was one who saw "with his white eyes, wonderful, poetic qualities in the inhabitants of Catfish Row that makes them come alive."[4] Biographer James M. Hutchisson characterizes Porgy as "the first major southern novel to portray blacks without condescension" and states that the libretto to Porgy and Bess was largely Heyward's work.[citation needed] Many critics have believed that Heyward was sympathetic in his portrayal of the Southern black. Others, however, have noted that the characters in Porgy, though viewed sympathetically, are still viewed for the most part as stereotypes.[citation needed]
Heyward and his wife Dorothy, whom he met at the MacDowell Colony in 1922, spent many years in Charleston, where he taught at the Porter Military Academy, while observing and thinking deeply about the lives of blacks of that area. His mother participated in an amateur Southern singing society performing Gullah songs, and he sometimes joined her. It was open to anyone whose family had lived on a plantation, whether as owner or slave.[citation needed] In Charleston, Heyward found inspiration for his book, including what would become the setting (Catfish Row) and the main character (a disabled man named Porgy). Literary critics cast Heyward as an authority on Southern literature, later writing, "Heyward's attention to detail and reality of the Southern black's lifestyle was not only sympathetic but something that no one had ever seen done before."[citation needed]
Opening on Broadway in 1927, the non-musical play "Porgy" was a considerable success, more so than the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess e
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April 4, 2021
It's Easter, and we're doing a huge book purge before we move next year, so I shouted out to my teen and preteen daughters this evening that WE'RE READING THE COUNTRY BUNNY BEFORE EASTER TOMORROW, SO GET IN MY ROOM!
This book has been an annual tradition of ours since my son was a baby, so my girls are familiar with the story, but I don't think I've read it to them in a couple of years. We're in the mode now of “pack it or pass it along,” so we're going through all of our bookshelves.
So, we started it, but when we got to the part that reads “by and by she had a husband and then one day, much to her surprise there were twenty-one Cottontail babies to take care of” my 13-year-old jumped in and said, “What happened to the husband? He's not even in the book. Did he make her pregnant with 21 bunnies and then leave?”
Silence.
Then, me, changing the subject:
“Girls, do you realize that this was written by a white man in 1939, and he made his protagonist a woman of color? Well, a bunny. It was pretty progressive of him, don't you think?”
My 10-year-old:
“Mom! Stop talking. We have to get up at seven in the morning, remember??”
Then, me again, trying to be funny:
“Girls, look at how productive the young rabbits are! They sweep, they cook, they mend the clothes. Why is the Country Bunny so much better at motivating her children? What am I doing wrong?”
My 13-year-old:
“Nothing, mom. Just keep reading.”
I kept reading, but when the Easter bunnies arrive at the Palace and see piles and piles of eggs, and I read, “eggs for rich children and eggs for poor children,” my 13-year-old interrupted me with, “That's rude, actually. Why do the poor kids get the crappy eggs? Shouldn't they all get the same, if they're from the Easter bunny?”
I wrapped up the story, quick like a bunny.
Sometimes you really need to heed those "recommended ages."
This book has been an annual tradition of ours since my son was a baby, so my girls are familiar with the story, but I don't think I've read it to them in a couple of years. We're in the mode now of “pack it or pass it along,” so we're going through all of our bookshelves.
So, we started it, but when we got to the part that reads “by and by she had a husband and then one day, much to her surprise there were twenty-one Cottontail babies to take care of” my 13-year-old jumped in and said, “What happened to the husband? He's not even in the book. Did he make her pregnant with 21 bunnies and then leave?”
Silence.
Then, me, changing the subject:
“Girls, do you realize that this was written by a white man in 1939, and he made his protagonist a woman of color? Well, a bunny. It was pretty progressive of him, don't you think?”
My 10-year-old:
“Mom! Stop talking. We have to get up at seven in the morning, remember??”
Then, me again, trying to be funny:
“Girls, look at how productive the young rabbits are! They sweep, they cook, they mend the clothes. Why is the Country Bunny so much better at motivating her children? What am I doing wrong?”
My 13-year-old:
“Nothing, mom. Just keep reading.”
I kept reading, but when the Easter bunnies arrive at the Palace and see piles and piles of eggs, and I read, “eggs for rich children and eggs for poor children,” my 13-year-old interrupted me with, “That's rude, actually. Why do the poor kids get the crappy eggs? Shouldn't they all get the same, if they're from the Easter bunny?”
I wrapped up the story, quick like a bunny.
Sometimes you really need to heed those "recommended ages."
March 5, 2011
I read this children's book many years ago, and although the plot confused me as a child I liked the book--you can't go wrong with bunnies!
Then, as an adult, I read it again.
The story FLOORED me.
As a mom of three very young, very active children (one of them special needs) I was slowly but surely disappearing. My "me" was lost, and I sorely missed it. Although I loved my kiddos and being a mother...had I missed my chance to be something? (Here we could go into the debate of how motherhood is the greatest profession, how fulfilled you should be by it...but let's just move on.)
The country bunny had her brood, raised them up to be responsible bunnies and good workers to boot, and THEN she auditioned to be an Easter bunny (something she had dreamed of doing since she was a little bunny). She had kept up her running skills while mothering and, much to the surprise of the other snooty bunnies, she beat those big jackrabbits and turned out to be the best Easter bunny of them all.
This book makes me cry and gives me hope. I can raise my wonderful children to be right and good, and then I can do what's in my heart.
If a country bunny can do it, I can too.
Then, as an adult, I read it again.
The story FLOORED me.
As a mom of three very young, very active children (one of them special needs) I was slowly but surely disappearing. My "me" was lost, and I sorely missed it. Although I loved my kiddos and being a mother...had I missed my chance to be something? (Here we could go into the debate of how motherhood is the greatest profession, how fulfilled you should be by it...but let's just move on.)
The country bunny had her brood, raised them up to be responsible bunnies and good workers to boot, and THEN she auditioned to be an Easter bunny (something she had dreamed of doing since she was a little bunny). She had kept up her running skills while mothering and, much to the surprise of the other snooty bunnies, she beat those big jackrabbits and turned out to be the best Easter bunny of them all.
This book makes me cry and gives me hope. I can raise my wonderful children to be right and good, and then I can do what's in my heart.
If a country bunny can do it, I can too.
April 18, 2011
This seems like sort of an old-fashioned book at first glance, definitely from before the mid-century explosion of children's picture books. But reading it again as an adult, I see how revolutionary it really is. The Country Bunny is told she can never be an Easter Bunny for a variety of reasons: [a] she is brown [b] she is rustic [c] she is a girl bunny [d] she is a mother. Although we are talking about bunnies here, undercurrents of race, class, and gender run through this book like freight trains. Considering that the book was published in 1937, it has struck me as remarkable.
Post Script: I wrote the above without realizing that Heyward, although a white male (I had always assumed that the Country Bunny must be the creation of a woman), is perhaps better known for writing the play that Porgy and Bess is based on. So clearly he was no stranger to issues of race.
Post Script: I wrote the above without realizing that Heyward, although a white male (I had always assumed that the Country Bunny must be the creation of a woman), is perhaps better known for writing the play that Porgy and Bess is based on. So clearly he was no stranger to issues of race.
November 2, 2020
A lovely fairytale like story of a mother rabbit who has lots of little ones but also an important job to do. The vintage illustrations are very beautiful.
It seems that in the US rabbits deliver Easter eggs whereas here in England hares do that job, I wonder why that is?!
A lovely read for Easter.
Read on open library.
It seems that in the US rabbits deliver Easter eggs whereas here in England hares do that job, I wonder why that is?!
A lovely read for Easter.
Read on open library.
October 5, 2018
How a Bunny Can Become an Easter Bunny
If you are a very wise bunny, you can become an Easter bunny. You just have to be smart enough and you have to run fast enough. This must mean that stealing vegetables out of Mr. McGregor’s garden isn’t a wise choice of jobs if you have high aspirations of becoming the Easter Bunny.
So Cottontail decides that she wants to be an Easter Bunny, but a Jackrabbit told her that that was foolish because he could run faster than she ever could.
Well, she got married instead, and then she had 21 little bunnies. And Jackrabbit laughed at her. She had given up her dream to be the Easter Bunny. And hey, that isn’t such a bad idea.
As her babies grew she taught them how to cook and clean, which is a very wise thing for a mother to do. Some learned to plant their own gardens, which was much wiser than stealing food.
Then one day they were all grown, which didn’t take long, as bunnies grow very fast. And next Cottontail heard about how Old Grandfather was going to pick the next Easter Bunny, so off she went. And you never know, maybe she became the Easter Bunny or maybe she stayed home and had another batch of bunnies.
Speaking of Easter, since Cottontail taught her children to cook, I have a great Easter recipe for her that she can teach her babies to bake, that is, if she has new babies. But I must say, it came from my friend Cathy Campbell back when she was dating a Greek who passed on this recipe to her. And is it ever delilcious:
VENETIAN HONEY COOKIES
1/4 c. unsalted butter 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk 2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. orange juice 1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt 1/2 t. grated orange rind
1 oz. whiskey, rum, brandy or Amarillo 3 1/2 c. flour
SYRUP
2 c. honey 1 t. cinnamon
1 c. boiling water
TOPPING
Finely ground walnuts
In a saucepan, melt butter. Cool slightly. In a bowl, add egg yolk, orange juice, baking soda, salt, whiskey, and sugar; mix well. Add melted butter and continue mixing until thick like mayonnaise. In another bowl, add baking powder, spices, orange peel, and flour. Mix in batter and finish by kneading smooth. Dough will be stiff. Place a tablespoon of the dough in your hand and squeeze slightly to form an oblong egg shape. (If a filled cookies is desired, add a small amount of nuts in the center before pressing it.) Place on a baking sheet and press top slightly with a fork, making a crisscross design or press with a buttered cookie mold. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Dip cookies for a few seconds in syrup and place on waxed paper to absorb syrup. Sprinkle with groundnuts.
If you are a very wise bunny, you can become an Easter bunny. You just have to be smart enough and you have to run fast enough. This must mean that stealing vegetables out of Mr. McGregor’s garden isn’t a wise choice of jobs if you have high aspirations of becoming the Easter Bunny.
So Cottontail decides that she wants to be an Easter Bunny, but a Jackrabbit told her that that was foolish because he could run faster than she ever could.
Well, she got married instead, and then she had 21 little bunnies. And Jackrabbit laughed at her. She had given up her dream to be the Easter Bunny. And hey, that isn’t such a bad idea.
As her babies grew she taught them how to cook and clean, which is a very wise thing for a mother to do. Some learned to plant their own gardens, which was much wiser than stealing food.
Then one day they were all grown, which didn’t take long, as bunnies grow very fast. And next Cottontail heard about how Old Grandfather was going to pick the next Easter Bunny, so off she went. And you never know, maybe she became the Easter Bunny or maybe she stayed home and had another batch of bunnies.
Speaking of Easter, since Cottontail taught her children to cook, I have a great Easter recipe for her that she can teach her babies to bake, that is, if she has new babies. But I must say, it came from my friend Cathy Campbell back when she was dating a Greek who passed on this recipe to her. And is it ever delilcious:
VENETIAN HONEY COOKIES
1/4 c. unsalted butter 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk 2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. orange juice 1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt 1/2 t. grated orange rind
1 oz. whiskey, rum, brandy or Amarillo 3 1/2 c. flour
SYRUP
2 c. honey 1 t. cinnamon
1 c. boiling water
TOPPING
Finely ground walnuts
In a saucepan, melt butter. Cool slightly. In a bowl, add egg yolk, orange juice, baking soda, salt, whiskey, and sugar; mix well. Add melted butter and continue mixing until thick like mayonnaise. In another bowl, add baking powder, spices, orange peel, and flour. Mix in batter and finish by kneading smooth. Dough will be stiff. Place a tablespoon of the dough in your hand and squeeze slightly to form an oblong egg shape. (If a filled cookies is desired, add a small amount of nuts in the center before pressing it.) Place on a baking sheet and press top slightly with a fork, making a crisscross design or press with a buttered cookie mold. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Dip cookies for a few seconds in syrup and place on waxed paper to absorb syrup. Sprinkle with groundnuts.
March 20, 2018
This book was written in 1939. It's a classic in every sense of the way. On the surface, it tells the story of a little brown country bunny who would like to become one of five world-wide Easter Bunnies.
It's important that the bunny is brown because there is a scene where the rich white bunnies make fun of her for never possibly being good enough to become an Easter Bunny. So yes, this book is about overcoming racism. Written with a can-do spirit by a white man in 1939!
However, the book has another fantastic message that I, personally, loved just as much: the bunny is the mother of 21 little bunnies so she's very busy cooking and cleaning and teaching her children and generally doing all the things every mother usually does.
Have you ever tried explaining a long absence from "work" by having raised children? Leading a household is indeed work but not really acknowledged anywhere! Even feminists with their "you're a women, you can do and be whatever you want" slogans often look at you disdainfully when you tell them you are or want to be a housewife and mother because "that is not a real job".
The underlying message is that of love and devotion and being diligent and therefore worthy of anything. Being a mother and wife doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams. Being from the country instead of the big city, not being rich, not being white, being a female (yes, all the Easter Bunnies are male) ... non of that is a disadvantage if your heart is in the right place.
A wonderful Easter tale (no religious subtext, yay) that teaches young and old a lot about what society should and could be like. We should all be more like Grandpa Bunny.
This is one of the books that absolutely has to be in my collection. I can't believe when it was written and how well the author addressed the problems and presented the solutions.
It's important that the bunny is brown because there is a scene where the rich white bunnies make fun of her for never possibly being good enough to become an Easter Bunny. So yes, this book is about overcoming racism. Written with a can-do spirit by a white man in 1939!
However, the book has another fantastic message that I, personally, loved just as much: the bunny is the mother of 21 little bunnies so she's very busy cooking and cleaning and teaching her children and generally doing all the things every mother usually does.
Have you ever tried explaining a long absence from "work" by having raised children? Leading a household is indeed work but not really acknowledged anywhere! Even feminists with their "you're a women, you can do and be whatever you want" slogans often look at you disdainfully when you tell them you are or want to be a housewife and mother because "that is not a real job".
The underlying message is that of love and devotion and being diligent and therefore worthy of anything. Being a mother and wife doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams. Being from the country instead of the big city, not being rich, not being white, being a female (yes, all the Easter Bunnies are male) ... non of that is a disadvantage if your heart is in the right place.
A wonderful Easter tale (no religious subtext, yay) that teaches young and old a lot about what society should and could be like. We should all be more like Grandpa Bunny.
This is one of the books that absolutely has to be in my collection. I can't believe when it was written and how well the author addressed the problems and presented the solutions.
June 5, 2009
Without a doubt this is one of my favorite books to read to children. DuBose Heyward is famous for many books but this is the only children's book he ever wrote. He made up the story at the request of his daughter and eventually had it published. The tale is set at Easter and the grandfather bunny is too tired and old to continue so a competition is held to select the new Easter Bunny. The Country Bunny has 21 little bunny children whom she has taught various household skills such as washing dishes, making beds, etc. She is a mother bunny who dearly wants to become the Easter Bunny but her wish is derided by the various male bunnies. In many ways this is a feminist book and supports and applauds the skills of a home-maker/mother. The Country Bunny goes on to win the competition because of the way she has raised her children. The second part of the book is actually set on Easter Eve when the eggs get delivered and the very tired Country Bunny takes the last basket to a homebound, invalid little boy. It is a slightly long read for very young children, but my daughters would sit still to the very last page of this book. I absolutely love and recommend this book.
March 14, 2015
This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I bought a new copy to share it with my boys, as mine was falling apart (literally). Well worth the investment! This book was originally published in 1939, and it has the best portrayal of working motherhood in any picture book I have seen. Did I mention it's from 1939?
If you have kids, you must read it to them. If you don't have kids, read it anyway. You won't regret it.
One of my favorite quotes:
"One day a little country girl bunny with a brown skin and a little cotton ball of a tail said, 'Some day I shall grow up to be an Easter Bunny - you wait and see!'
Then all of the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs who can run so fast, laughed at the little Cottontail and told her to go back to the country and eat a carrot. But she said, 'Wait and see!'"
There you go. This little girl bunny is discriminated against because of her gender, the color of her skin, and her socioeconomical class, but in the end (spoiler alert), she beats out all the jerks who said she couldn't do it. All while raising 21 children (she is a rabbit, after all).
Bunny power!
If you have kids, you must read it to them. If you don't have kids, read it anyway. You won't regret it.
One of my favorite quotes:
"One day a little country girl bunny with a brown skin and a little cotton ball of a tail said, 'Some day I shall grow up to be an Easter Bunny - you wait and see!'
Then all of the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs who can run so fast, laughed at the little Cottontail and told her to go back to the country and eat a carrot. But she said, 'Wait and see!'"
There you go. This little girl bunny is discriminated against because of her gender, the color of her skin, and her socioeconomical class, but in the end (spoiler alert), she beats out all the jerks who said she couldn't do it. All while raising 21 children (she is a rabbit, after all).
Bunny power!
March 15, 2016
For a children's book published in 1967 about Easter Bunnies it sure touches on topics in an underlying way that are still relevant today. Race, Gender stereotypes, wealth (or lack of) & motherhood are all addressed with regard to social conventions & it's crazy to see these are still hot topics today! The plot was a lil far fetched but it is a children's book about an Easter Bunny after all! But I enjoyed the underlying message which is Yes, regardless of being brown, country, poor, a mother or a woman~ you can make a dream come true if you are worthy & work smart!
April 7, 2012
One of the greatest picture books ever, I read this over and over as a kid. The story of a sweet little brown mother rabbit who dreams of being an Easter bunny is just utterly delightful. The pictures are simple but I love the color palette, which seems to have sort of gray undertones that somehow remind me of Easter eggs.
April 7, 2019
Cottontail always dreamed of being one of the five Easter Bunnies chosen by wise old Grandfather Bunny to deliver Easter Eggs to the children of the world, but the elegant white city bunnies and long-legged Jack Rabbits laughed at the idea of a country bunny fulfilling that role. Eventually she grew up, putting her dreams aside to raise her twenty-one baby bunnies. Then one day, while attending the ceremony to pick a new Easter Bunny, her wisdom and kindness, in raising her own large brood, led Grandfather Bunny to select her after all. Cottontail made countless deliveries the night before Easter, hopping until she was exhausted. Then, just when she was worn out, she was given a special task: deliver a beautiful egg to a very sick boy who lived on a distant mountaintop. It seemed impossible, but Cottontail's bravery and perseverance won her a very special prize - a pair of magical golden shoes - that made her task much easier...
Originally published in 1939, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes has become a classic of American children's literature. I myself never happened to read it as a child, but have long been aware of its existence, and have been meaning to get to it for some time. I'm glad that I finally did, as it is a lovely little tale, one as entertaining as it is heartwarming. The story reads like a fairy-tale, one in which the worthy heroine triumphs against all odds, and gets her just deserts, while the beautiful pastel-hued artwork captures the charm of its leporine characters, and the delights of their world. The vintage style here really appealed to me, as did the gentle but colorful palette. I can readily understand why the book has remained a favorite for close to eighty years. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining and engaging tales featuring Easter Bunnies and the eggs they are said to deliver, or mothers whose skills at parenting are utilized in other fields as well.
Originally published in 1939, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes has become a classic of American children's literature. I myself never happened to read it as a child, but have long been aware of its existence, and have been meaning to get to it for some time. I'm glad that I finally did, as it is a lovely little tale, one as entertaining as it is heartwarming. The story reads like a fairy-tale, one in which the worthy heroine triumphs against all odds, and gets her just deserts, while the beautiful pastel-hued artwork captures the charm of its leporine characters, and the delights of their world. The vintage style here really appealed to me, as did the gentle but colorful palette. I can readily understand why the book has remained a favorite for close to eighty years. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining and engaging tales featuring Easter Bunnies and the eggs they are said to deliver, or mothers whose skills at parenting are utilized in other fields as well.
May 29, 2008
This is a very strange story about a determined little country bunny who manages to run a perfect household (mainly by using her excellent delegating skills), raise her 21 children to be well-behaved and accomplished, all while enjoying a great career as an Easter Bunny, delivering eggs to the boys and girls of the world.
We all wonder if it is truly possible to balance motherhood and career, and give equal weight to each. This bunny has done it and done it to perfection. And maybe when Zeke is old enough to take over some of the household chores, in another year or two, I can hold my head up with a portion of the pride that this admirable bunny does.
The illustrations are adorable. Old-fashioned idea of forward-thinking feminism that will tickle you in all the right places. And it really fleshes out the whole Easter Bunny thing in a way that I feel was needed. Too many words, not enough opportunities to make animal sounds, for Zeke to truly enjoy it at his age, but given time it could become a favorite in our home.
We all wonder if it is truly possible to balance motherhood and career, and give equal weight to each. This bunny has done it and done it to perfection. And maybe when Zeke is old enough to take over some of the household chores, in another year or two, I can hold my head up with a portion of the pride that this admirable bunny does.
The illustrations are adorable. Old-fashioned idea of forward-thinking feminism that will tickle you in all the right places. And it really fleshes out the whole Easter Bunny thing in a way that I feel was needed. Too many words, not enough opportunities to make animal sounds, for Zeke to truly enjoy it at his age, but given time it could become a favorite in our home.
January 5, 2016
I recall this one as an Easter story that I read to my brothers oh, so long ago. It was a cute story about how the littlest one can sometimes be the best of all, and if you grow up humble, you will be loved.
Or something like that.
Will have to borrow this from the library for the little one, and see this again.
Or something like that.
Will have to borrow this from the library for the little one, and see this again.
April 11, 2013
Self confidence, perseverance, a woman achiever who manages to mix work and kids and has great love for kids, and gorgeous pictures of beautiful Easter eggs. What more could you want from a book?!
April 19, 2017
Even better than I remembered. Art, moral, everything.
April 24, 2021
Huh. This one was a recommendation from my daughter. It is old but readable. It's not quite a picture book, more an illustrated book with pretty good art. This country bunny gets to do it all. And without family and friends to help, since the purpose of the husband was just to get her baby bunnies. Well she gets assistance from her 21 baby bunnies. And we get to see what's important and presumably the same level of difficulty - sweeping, bed-making, cooking, dishwashing, singing, dancing, painting, gardening and an extra just to show that she had ran out of work before she ran out of bunnies. And of course she's also fast and wise and kind and brave.
So basically a superhero bunny except for not being rich or tall or white. And as a reward she gets to deliver Easter Eggs.
Vaguely subversive as well as showing the time this was written to some degree. 3.5 of 5.
So basically a superhero bunny except for not being rich or tall or white. And as a reward she gets to deliver Easter Eggs.
Vaguely subversive as well as showing the time this was written to some degree. 3.5 of 5.
March 6, 2013
The only thing better than reading Country Bunny and loving it as a child is sharing it with your own child. Little country bunny is laughed at by everyone when she says she would one day like to be one of the five Easter bunnies that take eggs to children all over the world. She grows up, has a family, and settles with never realizing her dream until one of the bunnies retires and she is given her big chance. Her kindness, wisdom, and bravery help her achieve her dream.
April 21, 2017
This is the longest book my mom has ever read to me! I heard her tell my grandma I needed a nap and she thought it would put me to sleep, but I stayed up until the very end!
Mom says she loved this book as a little girl and she loves it even more now because it turns out to be a tale about a working mother who beats the naysayers with class, kindness, and hard work. I thought it was just about some nice bunnies, but OK! -M
Mom says she loved this book as a little girl and she loves it even more now because it turns out to be a tale about a working mother who beats the naysayers with class, kindness, and hard work. I thought it was just about some nice bunnies, but OK! -M
March 10, 2016
My favorite Easter book and possibly children's book. I can't tell you when I had my own children I kept wondering how Mama Bunny was able to organize her household so well and without a man! (Maybe a little Duggar blood?)
March 7, 2019
Adorable book with lovely illustrations.
April 4, 2021
Sweet childhood story :)
April 10, 2021
Best ever Easter story!!
April 21, 2019
Take a look at the cover of this book. A prim and proper mother rabbit, in a shawl and billowing dress, stands with twenty-one immaculately dressed little bunnies. The title is in a traditional-looking cursive script. The background colour is a pale peach. Everything about it screams “old-fashioned”. When I picked this book up last year for the first time, I had low expectations. When I saw that it was published in 1939, I was sure it would be outdated. I could not have been more wrong. I had made the error of literally judging a book by its cover.
If there is a more progressive picture book from the 1930s, I haven’t found it. Thirty years before the women’s movement really gained traction, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes delivered a remarkable feminist punch. Thirty years before the Civil Rights Act was signed, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes needled away gently at racism and prejudice. And it achieved this without ever feeling preachy, without seeming like anything other than a lovable Easter story.
The premise is that every year children are delivered their Easter eggs not by one single Easter Bunny but by five Easter Bunnies, who are “the five kindest, and swiftest, and wisest bunnies in the whole wide world”. When one of the Easter Bunnies grows too old and can no longer run fast, the wise, old and kind Grandfather Bunny, who lives at the Palace of Easter Eggs, selects a new bunny to take its place.
The story surrounds one particular bunny who dreams of growing up to become an Easter Bunny. Her name is Cottontail, and she is described as “a little country girl bunny with a brown skin”, and of course she is laughed at by “all of the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs who can run so fast”. They tell little Cottontail to go back to the country and eat a carrot. She grows up, gains a husband, soon has 21 little baby bunnies and is once again scoffed at.
Cottontail does indeed stop dreaming of becoming an Easter Bunny, and spends her time raising her children. When word arrives that one of the five Easter Bunnies has grown too old and will be replaced, Cottontail is sad because “she thought that now she was nothing but an old mother bunny”. Still, she gathers her children at the Palace and they watch the big white Jacks show off their skills to the wise old Grandfather Bunny. He tells them that while they are pretty and fast, they have not proven themselves either kind or wise.
But Cottontail catches his eye, and through a series of questions she proves that she is not only wise and kind, but also swift enough to chase her 21 children and gather them quickly together. She is chosen as the new, fifth Easter Bunny, and is set the most difficult, but most important delivery of all: taking an egg to a sick little boy who lives far away, across two rivers and three mountains, in a house on top of the highest peak. In trying to reach the boy, Cottontail proves herself the bravest of the Easter Bunnies, and the grandfather gives her a pair of magical gold shoes to help her.
So much about this book is unexpected for the era. This was the 1930s; once a woman got married, she stopped working. Once she became a mother, that was doubly it. She certainly didn’t re-enter the workforce when she still had children. She was probably discouraged from dreaming too big in the first place. And not only a woman, but a woman with brown skin? She could definitely not have expected to reach great heights in the workforce.
What I love about this book is the way that the characters who show prejudice – the rich white bunnies, and the male chauvinist Jacks – prove ultimately to be irrelevant. Sure, they exist, and to some degree they shape Cottontail’s thinking. Remember, she assumes after having children she is just an old mother bunny. But the wise old grandfather sees Cottontail for who she is. He is completely open-minded, and his wisdom and kindness wins out.
And it is not only the grandfather. When Cottontail joins the other four Easter Bunnies at the palace, she is welcomed completely and without judgment: “There she stood in her funny country clothes but none of the other four Easter Bunnies laughed, for they were wise and kind and knew better”. This little rabbit world is the way our society could be if our leaders were the very best available: caring, sympathetic and tolerant. Eighty years later it is a dream that seems more distant than ever. Wisdom and kindness truly are the most important qualities, yet are in depressingly short supply.
After reading this story to Heidi for the first time, I looked up the author, DuBose Heyward, to find out more about the person behind this enlightened 1930s tale. And I discovered that he was far more famous as the creator of Porgy and Bess. While the opera is most associated with George Gershwin, who wrote the music, it was based on a play by Heyward and his wife Dorothy, which was in turn adapted from Heyward’s 1925 novel, Porgy.
While Porgy and Bess has been criticised for racial stereotyping in the decades since, it was at the time a remarkable production. Set among the African-American community, it was produced with an entirely African-American cast – something that was extremely unusual at a time when black roles were often played by white performers. It was the Heywards (who were white) who insisted on this back in 1927, when Porgy was first produced. For context, that was the same year that Al Jolson wore blackface in The Jazz Singer, the first talking picture.
Twelve years later, with illustrations by Marjorie Flack, Heyward published The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, a tale that he told to his daughter Jenifer, and which was possibly based on a story he had been told by his own mother. It has never been out of print and has a passionate, cult following, yet is not as widely known as some other books of the era – for example, Flack’s The Story About Ping.
In 2013, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy, described Cottontail as her all-time favourite character. “I see her now as a woman who re-enters the work force after raising a family — ‘leans in,’ and does it all — much better than the big Jack Rabbits,” she said. Perhaps she identified the strength of Cottontail with her own mother following the death of JFK; it is notable that the country bunny’s husband is never seen or even mentioned, after the initial statement that “by and by she had a husband”.
It is hard to disagree with Caroline Kennedy's sentiment. This is a story that I will cherish reading to both Heidi and Fletcher over the coming years — and not just at Easter. In an era when so many picture books are meaningless and disposable, it is such a treat to find one with a message so positive. And it was fitting that I made incorrect assumptions when I first saw this story. It is all about how you metaphorically can't judge a book by its cover. And you literally can't judge that by this book's cover.
http://dadreads.blogspot.com/2019/04/...
If there is a more progressive picture book from the 1930s, I haven’t found it. Thirty years before the women’s movement really gained traction, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes delivered a remarkable feminist punch. Thirty years before the Civil Rights Act was signed, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes needled away gently at racism and prejudice. And it achieved this without ever feeling preachy, without seeming like anything other than a lovable Easter story.
The premise is that every year children are delivered their Easter eggs not by one single Easter Bunny but by five Easter Bunnies, who are “the five kindest, and swiftest, and wisest bunnies in the whole wide world”. When one of the Easter Bunnies grows too old and can no longer run fast, the wise, old and kind Grandfather Bunny, who lives at the Palace of Easter Eggs, selects a new bunny to take its place.
The story surrounds one particular bunny who dreams of growing up to become an Easter Bunny. Her name is Cottontail, and she is described as “a little country girl bunny with a brown skin”, and of course she is laughed at by “all of the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs who can run so fast”. They tell little Cottontail to go back to the country and eat a carrot. She grows up, gains a husband, soon has 21 little baby bunnies and is once again scoffed at.
"Then the big white rabbits and the Jacks with long legs laughed and laughed, and they said, “What did we tell you! Only a country rabbit would go and have all those babies. Now take care of them and leave Easter eggs to great big men bunnies like us.” And they went away liking themselves very much."
Cottontail does indeed stop dreaming of becoming an Easter Bunny, and spends her time raising her children. When word arrives that one of the five Easter Bunnies has grown too old and will be replaced, Cottontail is sad because “she thought that now she was nothing but an old mother bunny”. Still, she gathers her children at the Palace and they watch the big white Jacks show off their skills to the wise old Grandfather Bunny. He tells them that while they are pretty and fast, they have not proven themselves either kind or wise.
But Cottontail catches his eye, and through a series of questions she proves that she is not only wise and kind, but also swift enough to chase her 21 children and gather them quickly together. She is chosen as the new, fifth Easter Bunny, and is set the most difficult, but most important delivery of all: taking an egg to a sick little boy who lives far away, across two rivers and three mountains, in a house on top of the highest peak. In trying to reach the boy, Cottontail proves herself the bravest of the Easter Bunnies, and the grandfather gives her a pair of magical gold shoes to help her.
So much about this book is unexpected for the era. This was the 1930s; once a woman got married, she stopped working. Once she became a mother, that was doubly it. She certainly didn’t re-enter the workforce when she still had children. She was probably discouraged from dreaming too big in the first place. And not only a woman, but a woman with brown skin? She could definitely not have expected to reach great heights in the workforce.
What I love about this book is the way that the characters who show prejudice – the rich white bunnies, and the male chauvinist Jacks – prove ultimately to be irrelevant. Sure, they exist, and to some degree they shape Cottontail’s thinking. Remember, she assumes after having children she is just an old mother bunny. But the wise old grandfather sees Cottontail for who she is. He is completely open-minded, and his wisdom and kindness wins out.
And it is not only the grandfather. When Cottontail joins the other four Easter Bunnies at the palace, she is welcomed completely and without judgment: “There she stood in her funny country clothes but none of the other four Easter Bunnies laughed, for they were wise and kind and knew better”. This little rabbit world is the way our society could be if our leaders were the very best available: caring, sympathetic and tolerant. Eighty years later it is a dream that seems more distant than ever. Wisdom and kindness truly are the most important qualities, yet are in depressingly short supply.
After reading this story to Heidi for the first time, I looked up the author, DuBose Heyward, to find out more about the person behind this enlightened 1930s tale. And I discovered that he was far more famous as the creator of Porgy and Bess. While the opera is most associated with George Gershwin, who wrote the music, it was based on a play by Heyward and his wife Dorothy, which was in turn adapted from Heyward’s 1925 novel, Porgy.
While Porgy and Bess has been criticised for racial stereotyping in the decades since, it was at the time a remarkable production. Set among the African-American community, it was produced with an entirely African-American cast – something that was extremely unusual at a time when black roles were often played by white performers. It was the Heywards (who were white) who insisted on this back in 1927, when Porgy was first produced. For context, that was the same year that Al Jolson wore blackface in The Jazz Singer, the first talking picture.
Twelve years later, with illustrations by Marjorie Flack, Heyward published The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, a tale that he told to his daughter Jenifer, and which was possibly based on a story he had been told by his own mother. It has never been out of print and has a passionate, cult following, yet is not as widely known as some other books of the era – for example, Flack’s The Story About Ping.
In 2013, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy, described Cottontail as her all-time favourite character. “I see her now as a woman who re-enters the work force after raising a family — ‘leans in,’ and does it all — much better than the big Jack Rabbits,” she said. Perhaps she identified the strength of Cottontail with her own mother following the death of JFK; it is notable that the country bunny’s husband is never seen or even mentioned, after the initial statement that “by and by she had a husband”.
It is hard to disagree with Caroline Kennedy's sentiment. This is a story that I will cherish reading to both Heidi and Fletcher over the coming years — and not just at Easter. In an era when so many picture books are meaningless and disposable, it is such a treat to find one with a message so positive. And it was fitting that I made incorrect assumptions when I first saw this story. It is all about how you metaphorically can't judge a book by its cover. And you literally can't judge that by this book's cover.
http://dadreads.blogspot.com/2019/04/...
October 6, 2021
Excellent
January 22, 2019
Since it's an Easter book, this is a little out of season, but my three-year-old had never heard it and she really wanted to know if her interpretation of the story based on the pictures was correct, so we read it in January anyway.
My favorite thing about the book, of course, is that the title character, who wishes her whole life to become an Easter bunny, is able to do so precisely because of the way she develops the necessary skills as she parents her 21 children. Though this subtle message about being able to follow one's dreams and be a mother at the same time is not the central focus of the book, it does set a nice example for my three daughters, and I appreciated it. I will definitely be reading this book aloud again at Easter this year!
My favorite thing about the book, of course, is that the title character, who wishes her whole life to become an Easter bunny, is able to do so precisely because of the way she develops the necessary skills as she parents her 21 children. Though this subtle message about being able to follow one's dreams and be a mother at the same time is not the central focus of the book, it does set a nice example for my three daughters, and I appreciated it. I will definitely be reading this book aloud again at Easter this year!
February 8, 2010
I have magical memories of this book so when I saw it on someone's goodreads account, I quickly added it. I can't wait to get it at the library and relive the magic.
So...it was even better than I expected! As a child, the magic was in the piles of colorful Easter eggs at the palace, the five swift Easter bunnies, and the final most beautiful Easter egg of all. As an adult, I love, love, love the against-all-odds-and-others'-opinions, the rewarded-for-goodness, and the be-a-good-mother messages--as well as the eggs.
(Mystery solved: when I was a little girl, I wanted 21 children. 21 is still my favorite number. I think this book is where that all originated!)
So...it was even better than I expected! As a child, the magic was in the piles of colorful Easter eggs at the palace, the five swift Easter bunnies, and the final most beautiful Easter egg of all. As an adult, I love, love, love the against-all-odds-and-others'-opinions, the rewarded-for-goodness, and the be-a-good-mother messages--as well as the eggs.
(Mystery solved: when I was a little girl, I wanted 21 children. 21 is still my favorite number. I think this book is where that all originated!)
April 24, 2009
This was one of my favorite books as a child. I'm not sure why, exactly; but reading it now, I am touched by the little country bunny who is raising her (21) children all by herself and is tasked with the enormous and very important job of delivering all of the Easter eggs all around the world when the previous Easter Bunny falls ill. This is a difficult task, and her last delivery is a very difficult one and she is afraid she will fail the little boy who is looking forward to her visit. In the end, her strength, faith, wisdom, and kindness and are rewarded.
March 11, 2010
A great secular Easter book. It introduces kids to the tradition of the Easter bunny (in slight variation from the most common tradition) along with emphasizing the value of kindness and wisdom. Well written as well, with cute pictures. Absolutely no religious elements whatsoever, but I enjoy passing on both the secular and religious traditions of Christian holidays to my children, so I don't mind that.
December 27, 2014
It's so good. So good.
The art is probably the best of any picture book out there. Remember it from a child.
And the message is great. Shows the importance of mothers but at the same time so beautifully illustrates that being a mother does not define a mother's entire life. Her job is to raise her children to be self-sufficient. and then that mother can go deliver Easter eggs!
Addendum: purchased at used bookshop in riverside! Dec 27 2014
The art is probably the best of any picture book out there. Remember it from a child.
And the message is great. Shows the importance of mothers but at the same time so beautifully illustrates that being a mother does not define a mother's entire life. Her job is to raise her children to be self-sufficient. and then that mother can go deliver Easter eggs!
Addendum: purchased at used bookshop in riverside! Dec 27 2014
January 24, 2020
I will not talk about the plot of this book because other people have done so also I don't want to ruin the story for those who have not yet read it.
The illustrations are fantastic and a very original plot.
This is yet another book that I read when I was a kid and I just loved, loved, loved it.
The illustrations are fantastic and a very original plot.
This is yet another book that I read when I was a kid and I just loved, loved, loved it.
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