Bunnies To The Rescue By Jeff Verney – Hosted by The Children’s Book Review

April 18, 2025 · by sybrinapublishing

Bunnies to the Rescue!

Ages: 4-6 | 36 Pages

Publisher: PHT Publishing (2025) | ISBN: 979-8-218-52892-8

Publisher’s Book Summary: The Nantucket Bunnies think that a toy bunny has been captured by a boy and his family. It seems that the bunny is in constant danger as the family travels across Nantucket. But a surprise awaits the Nantucket bunnies when one of them finally gets to talk to the bunny!

PURCHASE LINK

Author’s Website

Guest Post By The Author

From Manuscript to Published Book: The Journey of Bunnies to the Rescue!

THE STORY

The first time that I visited Nantucket I was struck by allofthe bunnies that were on the island. And yet I had never heard or read anything about the bunnies; one usually thinks about whales and beaches and Nantucket’s natural beauty with regards to the island. I started to consider writing a children’s picture book about the Nantucket bunnies, and I spent a couple of years noodling about potential stories. I knew I wanted the book to have action and excitement while at the same time having a couple of high-level positive themes. And I wanted the book to be a visual love letter to Nantucket, featuring some of my family’s favorite places on the island.

Finally, in the Summer of 2023 I settled on one of the ideas I had that involved three bunnies trying to save a stuffed bunny whose family was taking it to different locations on the island. While on vacation in a house in Sconset, a village on the eastern edge of Nantucket, I sat at a picnic table in the back yard and wrote the first draft of the story as I watched bunnies hop back and forth across the yard. I also decided I would self-publish the book so that I could make the decision about the illustrator that I thought was best suited to work on the book.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators which gave me access to the portfolios of hundreds of different illustrators, and I literally looked at every single portfolio. As I pondered hundreds of illustrations, I kept returning to the portfolio of Melissa Bailey, who has illustrated dozens of children’s picture books, and decided she was just the illustrator I was looking for! I submitted a query through her website and was delighted to get her response that she was interested in illustrating the book.

As Melissa lives in the Midwest and had never been to Nantucket, I returned to Nantucket to take photographs and videos of the various locations in the story I could share with her, as well as sent her a couple of picture books of Nantucket. From the time I received her initial sketches through getting her completed colored illustrations, I felt like Melissa had lived on Nantucket and was inspired by its natural beauty, just as I have been since the first time I stepped on the island! Given Melissa’s busy schedule, it took about a year for the illustrations to be completed and they were ready to go to the printer in November 2024. During this time, I also worked with an editor who helped me improve the manuscript; her support was invaluable!

THE BOOK

As I considered printers, I wanted to make sure I chose a printer who would perfectly duplicate the spectacular colors of Melissa’s illustrations that capture the delightful colors of Nantucket. I selected an overseas printer, and when a dummy of the book arrived (which I had to approve before the book went to print) in December 2024, I was so happy as the book perfectly replicated Melissa’s illustrations. I could feel the warmth of sunny days in Nantucket as I held the book in my hand!

I ordered many copies of the book, and they took a four-month journey from the overseas printer to Canada to my home in Connecticut. I really thought the books might never arrive; it took a month for them to move from the printer to a ship that had to sail across the Pacific, and they sat for another month at the Port Rupert, British Columbia port because there was a shipping backlog for trains across Canada due to severe snowstorms during the winter. They finally got on a train which went to Montreal, and then a truck that went to Toronto, and finally a truck that came to Connecticut. This was the most stressful aspect of the process, and it was compounded by concerns about tariffs and closed borders! But they are here at last, and I am thrilled to be able to share the book with readers. I really hope everyone enjoys the adventures of the Nantucket Bunnies! Gratitude Abounds!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Verney, the Troubadour of Happiness, lives in an enchanted house in Connecticut where he creates stories and songs that bring happiness, hope, joy, and positivity to the world. Gratitude Abounds!

For more information, visit jeffverney.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Melissa Bailey, an award-winning illustrator of 60 books, lives on a dirt road in rural Michigan. There, she takes daily walks, dreams of ways to make the impossible possible, and always looks for silver linings.

For more information, visit mbaileyart.com.

OFFICIAL LINK

bunniestotherescue.com

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Jeff Verney. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views.