Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit

December 13, 2010
"When snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare, everyone knows it's winter... including the rabbit." Simple text follows an assortment of animals through the winter months in scenes
featuring Na's (The Thingamabob) crisp lines, effervescent color, and intricate embellishments. A round-faced white rabbit is the observer in each spread, watching as a string of ducks flies across the page ("Some fly away from the cold"), then peeping into a cave of hibernating bears ("Some have a long, cozy sleep where they live"). Sometimes the rabbit goes farther than observation: she startles a squirrel gathering acorns, leaps next to a deer who travels "far... to find things to eat," and, in the funniest spread, mimics the alligators who lurk in the swamp ("Some stay very still"), narrowing her eyes and lengthening her neck in a most unrabbitlike way. Complex and ethereal at the same time, Na's digitally manipulated spreads feature collage, stenciling, and finger painting over thickly daubed backgrounds; the pages teem with interest and texture. They're just right for dull winter bedtimes as families wait for warmer weather. Ages 1–5.

Starred review from December 1, 2010

Falling snow and bare branches herald winter to everyone, including a rabbit who watches geese flying south, bears hibernating, turtles paddling to warm waters, sheep huddling, squirrels stacking acorns, deer foraging, frogs submerging and mice tunneling. And when snow melts and trees bloom, everyone, including the rabbit, knows spring has returned. Beginning and ending with the same elements, the spare text suggests the cycle of seasons. Likewise, the simple, whimsical illustrations, consisting of digitally generated layers and painterly textures, open with a white winter rabbit and close with a brown spring rabbit wearing spring flowers tucked behind his ears. Thin black outlines, fanciful patterns and Chagall-like colors imaginatively suggest animals, plants and backgrounds while each double-page spread showcases animals engaging in winter preparations from dramatic angles. Geese fly, a deer elegantly leaps and burrowing mice scurry across double-page spreads, transforming each page turn into an adventure while the ubiquitous rabbit pops up in every scene. Quiet winter wonders. (Picture book. 1-5)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from February 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 2-Rabbit's coat goes white in winter, and the author reflects on how other animals spend the cold months. Bears hibernate. Birds fly south. Sheep have their woolly coats to keep them warm. Turtles swim to warmer waters. Then bright colors appear once again, and all the animals know that it's spring. Rabbit's coat in the last panel has turned a reddish hue, and she wears a smile and has a newly bloomed flower by her ear. Done in ink and oils, overlaid and enhanced digitally with various shapes and layers, the art is vibrant and sports unusual colors with whimsical details. A lovely selection to share with younger children.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
Preschool-K In this offering from the acclaimed creator of A Book of Sleep (2009), a white rabbit observes the preparations that many outdoor creaturesbirds, bears, squirrels, and sheep, among othersare making for winter. Each animal deals with the weather in its own way: flying or swimming away, hibernating, staying warm in its wool, gathering food, or conserving its energy. Change comes along at the very end when the snow has melted and the trees are in bloom, and the rabbit, with a wink and a smile, turns to brown. The short prose sentences stand out well on pages featuring beautiful, digitally touched, textured paintings, which have a range of color, pattern, depth, and style often reminiscent of batik fabric. A sophisticated, accessible, and appealing look at winter survival.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)