The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin

by Nicola O'Byrne
The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin cover
Good Books rating 4.31
Children's Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 300
  • Added: 2025-09-10
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • ISBN: 9781788002714
  • Published: 2018-01-01
  • Formats: 9
  • Reviews: 4
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £7.99

Rabbit does not want to go to bed and comes up with a clever plan to stop nightfall by capturing the Dark in a biscuit tin. This inventive and humorous picture book explores Rabbit’s stubbornness and the consequences of trying to avoid bedtime, as the other animals and even Rabbit’s carrots suffer without darkness. /n/n As Rabbit faces the effects of his actions, he learns that the Dark is not something to fear but something that holds unexpected beauty and lessons. With charming illustrations and a fold-out feature to release the night sky, this gentle story encourages children to understand their feelings and appreciate the natural rhythms of day and night.

Reviews
Goodreads · Melissa Megan · 2020-10-21
clever 4.50

The story cleverly personifies the Dark, offering a fun and interactive experience for children resistant to bedtime, with pretty illustrations and a three-dimensional biscuit tin that enhances engagement.

Melissa Megan highlights how the book turns the Dark into a character who interacts with the rabbit, making the concept of night and bedtime less intimidating for children. She appreciates the creative use of a biscuit tin as a physical element in the story, which makes the reading experience more engaging and interactive for kids, especially those who resist going to bed. This clever tale not only entertains but also gently encourages children to appreciate the nighttime and the dark, making it a valuable addition to both classroom and home libraries. She also notes how the narrative cleverly balances temptation, guilt, and the consequences of keeping the dark away, ultimately teaching a lesson about the importance of night for animals and plants. The illustrations match the tone perfectly, being pretty but accessible for young readers, making the book an effective tool for parents and educators to ease bedtime battles.

Quick quotes

    This is such a clever tale of a rabbit who doesn't want to go to bed.

    The three-dimensional cookie tin is a fun way for children to interact with the book.

    Throughout the story, it is possible the child might realize there are good things about the nighttime.

Did You Ever Stop To Think · 2019-09-25
reassuring 4.00

The book explores fear of the dark through a playful narrative where the Dark is captured and confronted, ultimately revealing its importance and helping to ease children's anxiety.

This review reflects on the theme of fear of the dark that runs through the story, where Rabbit's fear leads to capturing the Dark in a biscuit tin. The narrative cleverly personifies the Dark, making it an approachable character rather than an abstract fear, which helps children understand and cope with their own fears. The story then unfolds to show the consequences of removing the dark and the eventual acceptance of its role in the natural order, providing comfort and reassurance. The reviewer appreciates the way the book addresses a common childhood fear through humor and empathy, making it a useful tool for parents to help their children overcome nighttime anxieties in a gentle and imaginative manner.

Quick quotes

    It is, essentially, a book about being afraid of the dark.

    Rabbit is scared of the Dark and so he captures it in a biscuit tin.

    The Dark ... helps to ease children's anxiety.

Just Imagine · 2019-09-25
delightful 4.50

This picture book is delightful and engaging, encouraging conversation, learning, and laughter around bedtime themes.

The reviewer finds 'The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin' a delightful and engaging picture book that effectively encourages talk and learning among children, with a special emphasis on laughter. They appreciate how the story handles bedtime in a way that is both inventive and humorous, making it a valuable tool for parents and educators to address common bedtime struggles with young children.

Quick quotes

    A delightful and engaging picturebook

    Encourages talk, learning and most importantly, laughter

    If bedtime is a battle, then this hilarious, inventive picture book

Just Imagine · 2019-09-01
delightful 4.25

A delightful picture book that successfully combines humor and learning, encouraging children to engage in conversations about night and bedtime while providing laughter.

This review praises the book as an engaging and joyous picture book that encourages children to talk about the night and bedtime in a fun way. It highlights how the story is not only entertaining but also educational, helping children to understand and accept the dark. The humor sprinkled throughout the narrative makes it a playful read that keeps children’s attention and invites them to laugh, making bedtime less of a struggle. The reviewer suggests it as a great resource for parents and educators to use to foster learning and discussion, emphasizing the book's role in normalizing night and dark through a charming character and storyline.

Quick quotes

    A delightful and engaging picturebook.

    Encourages talk, learning and most importantly, laughter.

    This hilarious, inventive picture book from international...

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