Lawrence the bunny who wanted to be naked
Lawrence the bunny who wanted to be naked written and illustrated by Vern Kousky tells the story of a young bunny that always gets dressed up his mother bunny and hates it! He longs to play without being dressed up but his mother insists that he wears her chosen outfits for him day after day. This makes him miserable! What does he do?
Lawrence decides to teach his mother a valuable lesson. What happens when Lawrence starts making clothing for his mother? She has to wear it of course! She doesn’t want to hurt Lawrence’s feelings so she wears the outfits that made her. This makes her feel miserable. Now she understand how Lawrence feels! At the end of the story, they both realize what makes them happy and how they both feel.
A Story of Perspective Taking and Emotions
I love stories that teach different perspective, such as this one. The author, Vern Kousky takes an interesting twist to the story by showing his mother how it feels to be dressed in a way that is not comfortable. I think this picture book, Lawrence the bunny who wanted to be naked is about letting our children make choices about how they want to express themselves and what makes them comfortable. I can remember my own memories of this with my mom who chose outfits for me that I didn’t like.
What is perspective taking? Perspective taking is understanding a different person’s point of view. This also helps build empathy!
Language and Learning Tips
As you are reading this book, ask your child questions about Lawrence and his mother’s emotions. How does Lawrence feel when his mother dresses him up in clothes that make him uncomfortable? Can he be himself if he isn’t feeling comfortable? How did his mother feel when she wore the clothes that Lawrence made for her? What did Lawrence’s mother learn throughout the book? I love this story because it helps teach children that we are all learning, including adults!
Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked
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