How to be Invisible (Bunny and Bird #2)

Nick Bland, How to Be Invisible (Bunny and Bird #2), HarperCollins Publishers, March 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460764060

This is the second book in Nick Bland’s Bunny and Bird series. As with other fictional duos created for young audiences, Bunny and Bird each have a childlike innocence about them. In this story, Bunny has the belief that they are invisible, a power which comes from the bowler-style red hat. Bird is an honest, but not unkind, friend, and let’s Bunny know that Bird can indeed see Bunny very clearly.

The two go back and forth, with Bunny offering Bird and chance to wear the hat to see if there is a different effect. While wearing the hat Bird most definitely can’t see Bunny, but still there is no invisibility manifest. I don’t want to give away the cute little twist at the end but given this is ideally suited to a preschool audience, you can expect a solid resolution to the story. One hint: encourage little ones to engage their visual literacy.

When reading this story, I was straight away reminded of Axel Scheffler’s Pip and Posy series. In both series the two main characters take centre stage on almost every page. Their misunderstandings, worries and mild conflicts are the focal point of the plot. Also, there is a wholesome vibe of safety, friendship, and calm. While the illustrations are boldly coloured, they are not loud. I think all the blue sky in the background helps.

This would be an ideal book to use to introduce a discussion or creative writing task based around invisibility, using questions like: What would you do if you were invisible?

Reviewed by Cherie Bell

Scroll to Top