ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Bunny loves books. "He loved them ever since he first heard the lady with the red glasses reading aloud outside the library." But cooler weather moves storytime back inside the building, and, desperate for a story, Bunny snoops around the library at night until he spots an easy entry via the library's book-return slot. Night after night, he returns to his burrow with his latest haul of books, and before long, he's not the only one rcupine, Raccoon, Mole, and even Bear join in on Bunny's nocturnal library escapades. All appears to go well until the librarian catches them in the act, but instead of a scolding, they get library cards, so they can come back whenever they want d return the books they've been taking! Mai-Wyss' soft, muted watercolor scenes sprinkled with charming, expressive cuddly animals is the perfect complement to Silvestro's enchanting story about the love of books. This comfy, cozy read is a natural fit for a library storytime (particularly since it quietly emphasizes the importance of rules).

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

A small brown bunny is captivated by storytime on the library steps. But when summer is over and storytime moves back indoors, Bunny and his forest friends must find a creative way to keep reading. Nighttime high jinks involve the after-hours book drop, but all ends well in this gently humorous celebration of books and libraries. Winsome, detailed watercolor illustrations invite repeated perusals.

Kirkus Reviews

A bunny who loves books finds a cunning way to build his own library.Bunny has loved books ever since he heard the lady with red glasses reading to kids outside of the library. But when summer is over and storytime is moved back inside, Bunny is bereft. He needs stories! The solution—the library book drop! He is able to wriggle inside the library, where the shelves are bursting with books—better than a field of fresh carrots. Plus, he can take books home with him by dropping them back through the book drop. He returns to the library each night, and soon his burrow is overrun with books. Help arrives when his friends join in the nighttime raids: Porcupine, Bear, Squirrel, Raccoon, Frog, Mole, and Mouse. Things are going well until the librarian, a young, brown-skinned woman with cornrows, catches the animals in the act one night. "All libraries have rules," she admonishes but then gives them each a new library card so they can borrow and return the books. Voilà, the titular book club is born. The cover image of the animals reading in and under a tree is enticing, and the cozy illustrations are appealing. The humans included in the pictures are nicely diverse, and the book design is clever with a book pocket and card on the endpaper. A sweet salute to reading. (Picture book. 3-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Bunny, a rabbit, has been eavesdropping on the local library-s outdoor story time and fallen in love with how books can spark an array of adventures: -As he listened, Bunny imagined himself climbing mountains... captaining a ship... ruling a kingdom.- But now that it-s sweater weather, and story time has moved indoors, what will Bunny do? The answer isn-t exactly legal (book return slots are intended for books, after all) and it gets a little out of hand (pretty soon Bunny-s friends all want in on his after-hours library excursions). But the librarian turns out to be forgiving where these trans-species bibliophiles are concerned, and since -All libraries have rules,- Bunny and his accomplices end up with their own library cards. Debut author Silvestro can sometimes be too literal and earnest (-He followed his nose to the adventure section-), but she makes the pleasures of reading abundantly clear. Mai-Wyss (The Passover Lamb) smartly divides the storytelling into small, telling moments, amplifying each vignette with a fine eye for detail and warmhearted humor. Ages 3-7. Author-s agent: Liza Voges, Eden Street Literary. (Feb.)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 1 For book lovers, there is nothing better than a day snuggled deep in a comfortable chair reading a new book from the library. In this cozy tale, several woodland animal friends discover the pleasures of just such a day thanks to a bunny with a passion for books. Bunny falls in love with books during the warm days of summer when storytime is held on the library steps. Soon, Bunny is transported to faraway places and is experiencing the worldas captain of a pirate ship and ruler of a kingdomas never before. When storytime moves inside, Bunny is bereft. To satisfy his hunger for books, Bunny returns to the library at night and learns that although the library is locked, the book return slot is open. Before long, Bunny spends all his time reading, and his friends are mystified by his absence. When Bunny divulges his secret, eight of the woodland friends sneak into the library together and are caught by the librarian. Rather than being busted, they are given library cards. So begins Bunny's Book Club. Silvestro's debut picture book is a love letter to the pleasures of reading and libraries, and Mai-Wyss's colorful illustrations are endearing and comforting—who wouldn't want to be friends with this group of open-minded and curious pals? There are cute details throughout, including a re-creation of an old library pocket on the inside cover of the book. VERDICT A pleasant addition for large picture book collections.— Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA