12. Little Bunny and the Magic Christmas Tree

Written David Martin
Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
Candlewick, 2011
$15.99, ages 2-4, 40 pages

It's Christmas Eve and Little Bunny is fed up with being the shortest bunny in his family.

His younger but taller twin brothers have hung his fire engine ornament out of his reach and his big brother is calling him "Teeny-Tiny" bunny.

So Little Bunny does what any frustrated little bunny might do: he dives under the Christmas tree and refuses to come out.

But being mad is tiring and while he's under there, Little Bunny drifts off to sleep.

Then something magical happens.

In the night, Little Bunny feels a tiny scarf land on his shoulder and hears a teeny voice.

Could that really be the snowman ornament calling down from a branch above?

Little Bunny wonders if he's dreaming, but quickly decides he couldn't be, and looks up see the snowman reaching down.

The problem is, how will he ever get up there to return the scarf?

Even with a running jump, he can't reach the snowman's stick arms. And if he were to climb the tree, it might topple over.

For once, could Little Bunny actually be too big?

Maybe if Little Bunny thinks small he'll shrink to just the right size to climb up the tree.

He might even reach his favorite ornament, and be little enough to climb inside and take it for a spin.

Imagine that! Driving the fire engine ornament around and around to the tree's tippy top.

It seems like a dream come true, but wouldn't this adorable fellow miss his family?

In this sweet tale, Little Bunny discovers that sometimes the best size to be is the size you are.