Bunbun & Bonbon: Fancy Friends; Jess Keating

This is the first graphic novel from acclaimed author and illustrator Jess Keating and I thoroughly recommend that it hop hop hops its way into the lives of many young readers.

White rabbit Bunbun has it all. A perfect face with perfectly formed rabbit ears and nose, a wonderful smile and the most gorgeous tail. The one thing Bunbun does not have is a friend. And then along comes Bonbon. At first glance Bonbon appears to be a rock but is actually a talking purple candy and is just the friend that Bunbun needs. And together they will have a very fancy time…

Bunbun and Bonbon is a cute story about a lonely rabbit who just wants to find a friend and in Bonbon finds the perfect candy-shaped friend to enjoy all kinds of fancy things with. The delightful duo strike up an immediate friendship and bond over their shared love of everything fancy including bowties, words (croissant, chapeau and grandiose) even though they don’t know what any of them mean, music and foods (fancy French fries and fancy ketchup).

Clear paneling, vibrant colours and simple speech bubbles in bold font make this a really accessible and easy to follow read. The plot is simple, enjoyable and is very, very sweet. One moment of peril sees the duo stumble upon a snake who is also in need of a friend and is quickly welcomed to the fancy friends collective.

Will be thoroughly enjoyed by readers of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jellyfish series.

Recommended for 5+.