That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown

We picked up That Rabbit Belongs To Emily Brown on a whim during a visit to the bookshop, based on its collage-cum-scribble illustrational style. We were back within the week to buy another copy as a birthday present, and we've returned several times to do the same thing again. Why?

Good question. Well, to start with, it was an immediate hit with our daughter, who demanded it every night for six weeks straight as her bedtime story. Amazingly, neither parent minded, either. Unlike many books, it kept its appeal even to the adult reader (in fact, that may be the key to why our daughter latched onto it so strongly: I'm sure she picks up on our own enjoyment).

Then there's the heroine - a small girl who, with her toy rabbit, has very exciting games, like exploring the outer reaches of the Milky Way, and taking an expedition through the Amazonian Rainforest. That's right - girl. And a very feisty girl she is too: you couldn't wish for a better role-model.

Finally, there's a wonderful moral to the rather fantastical story, which wraps the whole package up rather neatly. We're still reading the book every few nights, a few months on, and my daughter now has her own toy rabbit named Stanley, after the rabbit in the book.

Often we might recommend products because they look interesting or have a novelty value, but this recommendation's from the heart. If you're looking for a book to become one of the most-beloved on the bookshelf, this might just be it.