Introducing the story of two unlikely friends – gentle Bear and know-it-all Rabbit. When Bear wakes from hibernation early and decides to build a snowman, Rabbit is sure he can do it better. But when an avalanche and a hungry wolf come along, grumpy Rabbit realises that having a friend like Bear on his side is definitely a good thing.

The Rabbit and Bear books are lovely stories about friendship and sharing and, of course, just a little bit of poo! The series is ideal for readers moving on from picture books; with its gorgeous illustrations, it feels like a modern classic in the making. 

Rabbit’s Bad Habits was author Julian Gough’s first children’s book and was inspired by his own daughter. One night reading her the most boring bedtime story in the world, he decided that she and he could do better. Gough wanted to combine David Attenborough and Winnie-the-Pooh and we think he may have just succeeded. The funny stories are brought to life wonderfully by Jim Field’s illustrations. Field is the illustrator of many bestselling series including Oi Frog and the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. The collaboration has produced stories that are perfectly pitched for the audience – just the right amount of silliness alongside important life lessons about kindness and acceptance.

We recommend Rabbit and Bear for emerging readers; the simple stories, laugh out loud humour and great illustrations mean that they are the perfect transition from picture books to chapter books. Read them aloud to children 5+ or encourage children to read them alone from ages 6 or 7. 

You can read the books in any order and we guarantee that the gentle adventures of these two good friends, and of course the plentiful poo jokes, will hold budding readers’ attentions.

Love this series? Check out our list of the Best Animal Stories for 5 and 6 year olds

All the Rabbit and Bear Books in Order:

Book 1: Rabbit’s Bad Habits (2016)
Book 2: The Pest in the Nest (2017)
Book 3: Attack of the Snack (2018)
Book 4: A Bite in the Night (2019)
Book 5: A Bad King is a Sad Thing (2021)
Book 6: This Lake is Fake! (March 2024)