Bunny, Go Away!

Given the popularity of our little story songs, we thought that this light tune would be perfect for your young students for spring programs or just for the fun of it. The melody is unison, easy, and repetitious so that singers can learn it quickly. Just playing the recording for them a few times and letting them read and sing along will probably do the trick. (And remember, reading lyrics is not only reading, it's a form of word recognition and understanding. That means that it's another way to bring music across the curriculum. Hey, we're always thinking about this stuff!)

Once the melody is learned, you can turn your attention to the spoken solos, which tell the story. While we chose several different kids to speak, you can use as few or many as you wish. Again, listening to our performers will help yours decide how to say their lines. Though we have indicated some styles, such as "whiny" or "dejected," these are just suggestions. Let your actors come up with their own interpretations. But also encourage them to speak clearly and not rush their lines, especially if you are performing this piece to an audience.

Speaking of performing, the addition of simple costumes and props would be quite appropriate. Let some or all students dress as gardeners - outdoor clothing, straw hats, gardening gloves, rubber mud boots, etc. If you use garden implements, go for safe ones, not sharp tools. Other props might include real or fake flowers, veggies and baskets to hold them.

For your bunny, you could have one student dress as a bunny and act out the munching as the story goes. A bunny costume can be a full-blown costume or an easy and quick version. (Have your bunny dress all in brown or white, perhaps in a sweat suit. Attach a pair of rabbit ears to a headband. Draw a pink nose and bunny whiskers with washable face paint and you have instant bunny. Adding a large ball of cotton for a tail is optional, but would certainly get the point across.)

If you'd rather try a different approach, consider using a puppet or toy rabbit instead of an actor. Create a mini stage where your puppeteer(s) can hide and reveal just the character and action. This could be as simple as a table with a tablecloth over it.

One other note: You will see that there are claps indicated on the music. These are optional, of course. But if you do use them, consider letting some students clap while others do the acting to give everyone a chance to have a special role.