A Not To Be Missed New Substack

Let the gentle voice of earth's most hunted creature speak truth about how to stay alive and loving, despite constant existential threat to survival

We are conditioned to believe that all the most incredible writing “for children,” (which really means for the still innocent hearts of any age,) is known to us. The famous names. Not so! Amazing writing is largely unclaimed by the moribund children’s book publishing industry, which insists, increasingly, upon treating children like receptacles of woke.

The first time I read my older sister Bibi’s writings that could be described as “for children,” (but really isn’t) I wished I ran my own department at Scholastic, so I could buy the rights!

(When it comes to writing, I am unsparing and unbiased.)

Bibi began to write about her rabbits, beginning with the first one she rescued years ago—Sandra— in the voice of the rabbit herself, and the result was, to my ear, so much more enchanting than the typical animal voice because it was not at all fake or cloying. This voice was so poignant, raw, real, funny, and deeply moving, that I always, without fail, believed it was the rabbit Sandra speaking, when I read it. It is like a portal to a voice landscape, which can only be achieved by those who are masters of this difficult craft.

Bibi’s writings, following the often hilarious, sometimes sad, adventures of her three rabbits (one of whom, Boxer, is still with us) can now be read at her brand new Substack.

I invite and encourage all of you, especially if your soul craves a spark of light, to read and subscribe to Sandra The Free Range Super Bunny, here. (As with this page, you can subscribe at no cost, and then if you find that it becomes a part of your life, you can make a decision to make a monthly donation.)

Thank you in advance.

Here are two outtakes:

”When they first saw me, they didn’t know that I really needed help. It was obvious I was not an outdoor bunny, first of all because of my long tufts of soft fur around my face, and my unusual colors. Also, I seemed to want to hang around the houses instead of hopping away quick quick quick like an outdoor bunny. I was a little out of place. A lady named Bibi gave me an organic carrot. She said What should we do The shelters are always full to capacity and there’s even a waiting list of 12 rabbits to get in. Her neighbor John said I looked like a stuffed animal. He said I could stay under his house as long as I wanted.”

From another episode:

”I wasn’t even always allowed to go inside Bibi’s house for a really long time. She wanted to let me in but sometimes I peed on the carpet and sofa so everyone would know it was really mine. I also liked to dig in the rugs and make holes in them. I chewed up lots of things. We like to chew things because our teeth never stop growing.

I chewed a special wire into 14 pieces.  It was in Bibi’s closet. She lets me play Bunny In The Closet and since I never chewed wires before she was surprised when she counted all the pieces. She said Sandra that’s why my internet stopped working.  

Bibi went to an apple orchard and got me a bag of apple branches and twigs to keep me busy while she hides all the wires in her house.”

Continue reading here.

Bibi’s Substack here.