The inspiration behind "Gizmo Thumper Bunny Rabbit has the Zoomies"

If you’ve ever met a house rabbit, you’ll know they’re not just pets. They’re tiny, furry anarchists with opinions, hobbies, and a surprising amount of athletic ability. Before I had children, I had one such creature: Gizmo Thumper Bunny Rabbit, my toilet‑trained, fridge‑obsessed, cable‑chewing, high‑jumping little mate.

He wasn’t just a rabbit. He was a character.

Gizmo had BIG zoomies. The kind that rattled furniture, startled visitors, and made me laugh until my stomach hurt. He’d tear down the hallway, skid around corners, and launch himself onto couches. Those zoomies were pure joy. For him. For me. For anyone lucky enough to witness the chaos.

And it struck me one day: People adore zoomies in animals… but are a tad less tolerant when children get them.

That thought planted the seed for a story.

The high‑jumping, fridge‑raiding acrobat

Gizmo could jump so high I’d often find him perched proudly on top of my washing machine like he’d conquered Everest. He’d leap onto my bed, thump his back legs to warn me of imaginary danger, and sprint to the fridge every single time he heard the door open. Every. Single. Time.

If I came home with groceries, he’d bite holes in the plastic bags to get to the carrots. He was a menace. A delightful menace.

I always recommend house rabbits, except for their love of electrical cables. That part is… less ideal. Gizmo chewed through so many cords I became an amateur electrician by necessity. All my cables had to be encased with plastic tubing. And yes, one day he chewed through a cable so high‑voltage it could have ended very badly. He survived. The waterbed did not. (That story deserves its own blog post — remind me later.)

The heart behind the book

When Gizmo eventually passed away, I cried harder than I’d ever cried before. Pregnancy hormones thanks to my soon-to-be-born first child certainly didn’t help, but the grief was real. He’d been my companion, my chaos generator, my little furry shadow.

So writing Gizmo Thumper Bunny Rabbit Has the Zoomies felt like a way to honour him by sharing his joy, his mischief, and his enormous personality with children everywhere.

It’s also a gentle nod to kids who have their own zoomies. Their bursts of energy, excitement, curiosity, and chaos. Gizmo’s story says: Your zoomies aren’t wrong. They’re part of your magic.

Gizmo lives on

Gizmo even appears in my Cheer Chick Charlie series as the family pet, because once a character steals your heart, you can’t help but let them hop into other stories.

And now, I’m thrilled to share him with you all in his very own picture book.

I hope children see themselves in his zoomies. I hope parents see the humour in the chaos. And I hope Gizmo’s legacy brings as much joy to your home as he brought to mine.