Skip to Main Content

Battle Bunny

Illustrated by Matt Myers

About The Book

Encourage creativity with this wildly entertaining picture book mash-up from the minds of Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett.

Alex has been given a saccharine, sappy, silly-sweet picture book about Birthday Bunny that his grandma found at a garage sale. Alex isn’t interested—until he decides to make the book something he’d actually like to read. So he takes out his pencil, sharpens his creativity, and totally transforms the story!

Birthday Bunny becomes Battle Bunny, and the rabbit’s innocent journey through the forest morphs into a supersecret mission to unleash an evil plan—a plan that only Alex can stop.

Featuring layered, original artwork that emphasizes Alex’s additions, this dynamic exploration of creative storytelling is sure to engage and inspire.

About The Authors

Photo Credit:

Jon Scieszka is the creator of Trucktown, including the New York Times bestselling Smash, Crash!, and the author of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, the Time Warp Trio series, Caldecott Honor Book The Stinky Cheese Man, and many other books that inspire kids to want to read. He has worked as an elementary school teacher and is the founder of GuysRead.com, a literacy initiative for boys.

Photo courtesy of the author

Mac Barnett is the author of the Brixton Brother series and several picture books, including Guess Again! and Chloe and the Lion (both illustrated by Adam Rex), and the New York Times bestseller Extra Yarn. He’s on the board of directors of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center, and founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers. Mac lives in Oakland, California.

About The Illustrator

Photograph by Christine Jones

Matt Myers has illustrated more than a dozen books, including The Most Terrible of AllA Dog Named Doug, the New York Times bestseller Battle Bunny, and The Infamous Ratsos, a Theodor Seuss Geisel honor book. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can see more illustrations and fine art at MyersPaints.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (October 22, 2013)
  • Length: 32 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442446731
  • Grades: K - 4
  • Ages: 5 - 9
  • Lexile ® AD480L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

* “An enthusiastically taboo, devil-may-care outing for combat fans—and a great writing inspiration to use on old books headed for the bin.”

– Kirkus

* “A hilarious and transgressive story with a clear message: Don’t suffer schlock.”

– Publishers Weekly

* "This deliciously subversive piece of metafiction skewers--with sharp wit and a sharper pencil--the earnest, purposeful literature so popular in the middle of the last century."

– Booklist, starred review

* "This is a perfect book to give independent readers who are looking for something a little different. The unique layout and design will inspire creativity in readers."

– School Library Journal, in a starred review

* "Battle Bunny makes for great entertainment: it's funny, the plot builds, and the protagonist captivates readers' attention. It also begs to be reread and shared. Kids will be eager to compare notes and to relive it with their friends."

– Shelf Awareness, starred review

A “Best 2013 Books” in the Children’s Picture Book category!

– Publishers Weekly

A New York Times bestseller

– The New York Times

"This book says 'Welcome!' to children."

– The New York Times

"It’s all very clever...."

– The Horn Book

* "The resulting text is thus an honest reflection of the ways kids interact with books—in a way that’s accessible to kids themselves—as well as a complexly layered work of comic genius."

– BCCB, in a starred reviewe

A Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Bestseller for Children’s Illustrated Books

– SCIBA

A "Best Book of 2013!"

– National Public Radio

2014 Picture Book of the Year

– Northern California Independent Booksellers Association’s

Awards and Honors

  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • Bulletin Blue Ribbon
  • NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • Beehive Award Master List (UT)
  • Colorado Children's Book Award Master List
  • Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children's and Teens (DC)
  • Great Lakes Great Books Master List (MI)
  • Gryphon Award for Children's Literature
  • MSTA Reading Circle List

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this illustrator: Matt Myers