The Wild Season
Dashka Slater
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 8, 2026
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About The Wild Season
When four abandoned bunnies turn up in a city park, the community rallies to save them in award-winning, bestselling author Dashka Slater’s unforgettable middle grade nonfiction debut.
No one knows how a bunch of pet rabbits ended up in a San Francisco park—but one thing is clear: they don’t belong. Predators are circling, and if they aren’t rescued soon, the park itself will be overrun. From the moment they’re spotted, the countdown begins.
Join a cast of kids hiding out in forts, keen-eyed teenagers surveying the park, rabbit experts setting traps, and scores of neighbors willing to do anything to help as they rally together in pursuit of rabbits.
For fans of Candace Fleming, this exceptional true story comes to life in a beautifully illustrated book, which includes a fun feature that animates a running rabbit when you flip though the pages as well as behind-the-scenes bonus material.
My Review
I’ve read almost every book that Dashka Slater has published. I subscribe to her Substack, too. So, when I heard she was writing a new nonfiction title, that was kind of all I needed to know. And every additional thing I learned about the book only made me want to read it more. A feel-good story about a community coming together for a rabbit rescue? Yes, please. If there’s one thing I need more of in 2026, it’s stories about people doing and being good and making a positive difference in the world. Plus, bunnies!
I really enjoyed this book. It’s peppered with interesting facts about rabbits: their relationships, behavior, diet, and genetics. Each rabbit feels unique and has its own story. The community members who join forces to rescue the rabbits each have a story as well, and those details are well integrated into the whole.
By the end, I felt like I’d been right there in the brush chasing down rabbits and celebrating when each one found a new home. While the story does include some sad moments, it’s ultimately such a hopeful tale.
Readers who love animals and animal rescue stories will definitely find this one appealing. If you’re particularly interested in rabbits as a pet or animal, this is a great book to introduce you to some facts. Or, if you simply need to look for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers reminds us to do in hard times, this book is a great place to find them.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Two of the rabbits form a bonded pair.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Reference to rabbits being vulnerable to predatory animals such as coyotes.
Drug Content
None.
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