Better Than a Touchdown
Jalen Hurts
Both books explore Juvenile Fiction
Best Bunny Brother Ever
A gentle, easy-to-read Beginner Book about a big brother patiently teaching his little sister T-ball, ideal for new readers who have siblings, love sports, or need an Easter-basket book.
What It's About
This entry in Marilyn Sadler's long-running Funnybunny series turns the spotlight on the bond between P.J., the restless bunny from It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, and his younger sister, Honey Bunny. She is wild about baseball but too small to join the big kids, so P.J. decides to coach her himself. The story follows the two of them through the basics, from warming up to throwing, catching, swinging, and running the bases, until Honey Bunny is ready to step onto the field for a real game.
As a Beginner Book, it is built for children who are starting to read on their own. Sentences are short, vocabulary is simple and repetitive, and the bright pictures carry much of the meaning so a child can work out unfamiliar words from context. The sports setting gives the practice scenes a clear forward motion, which helps young readers stay engaged page to page.
Underneath the T-ball plot, the book is really about gratitude and sibling kindness. It quietly asks what matters most: the big moment on the field, or the person who helped you get there. Reading it feels warm and low-stakes, closer to a cozy bedtime story than an adventure, and it lands with a soft, affectionate message that parents of siblings will appreciate.
Read this if you…
- have a beginning reader who is ready for simple stories they can tackle on their own
- want a sibling-themed book that shows a big brother being kind and helpful
- are looking for an Easter or gift book for a young sports fan or Funnybunny fan
Skip it if you…
- want a picture book with rich, layered language for reading aloud to older kids
- are looking for a story with real tension, humor-heavy mischief, or surprising plot turns
Key Ideas
- 1
Older siblings as patient teachers
P.J. takes on the role of coach rather than rival, showing young readers what it looks like when a big brother invests time in a younger sibling. It offers a positive model for kids who are expected to help a little brother or sister, and a chance for parents to praise that kind of helping out loud.
- 2
Learning a skill step by step
The book walks through T-ball fundamentals in a natural order: warming up, throwing, catching, hitting, and running bases. This structure mirrors how children actually learn new skills and reassures them that practice and small steps lead to being ready, a useful message for kids nervous about starting a sport or activity.
- 3
Gratitude over winning
The story builds toward a game, but it steers attention away from the scoreboard and toward the relationships behind success. Without heavy moralizing, it nudges children to notice and thank the people who help them, making it a handy springboard for conversations about thankfulness, especially around holidays.
- 4
Pictures that support early reading
In keeping with the Beginner Books approach, the illustrations do real work: they give clues to the words on the page so emerging readers can decode with confidence. The limited vocabulary and repetition let children experience the satisfaction of finishing a whole story mostly by themselves.
Limitations
This is a deliberately simple book, and that cuts both ways. Adults may find the plot predictable and the message on the sweet side, and children past the early-reader stage will likely outgrow it quickly. Fans of the original It's Not Easy Being a Bunny may miss the wry humor of P.J.'s earlier identity crisis, since this story is gentler and more earnest. The Easter framing is mostly marketing; there is little holiday content, which is fine year-round but may disappoint anyone expecting an Easter-specific story.
Questions Readers Ask
- What age is Best Bunny Brother Ever for?
- It suits children roughly four to seven. Preschoolers will enjoy it read aloud, while kindergarteners and first graders who are learning to decode can try reading it themselves, since it uses the simple vocabulary and picture clues typical of the Beginner Books series.
- Do you need to read the other Funnybunny books first?
- No. The story stands on its own, and the brother-sister setup is explained through the action. Children who already know P.J. from It's Not Easy Being a Bunny or Honey Bunny Funnybunny will enjoy seeing familiar characters, but newcomers will not be lost.
- Is it actually an Easter book?
- Only loosely. It is marketed for Easter because the characters are bunnies, but the story centers on T-ball and sibling gratitude rather than holiday traditions. That makes it a reasonable Easter-basket pick that also works as a gift any time of year.
- Published
- 2026
- ISBN
- 9798217032464
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Children's Books
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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