I'm a Hare, So There!

February 1, 2021
A hare and a ground squirrel banter about the differences between related animals that are often confused for one another. Jack is "no Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail," but a "H-A-R-E, hare!" Like sheep and goats, or turtles and tortoises, rabbits and hares may look similar, but hares are bigger, their fur changes color in the winter, and they are born with their eyes wide open. As the ground squirrel (not to be mistaken for a chipmunk (even though Jack cheekily calls it "Chippie") and Jack engage in playful discussion about animals, a sneaky coyote prowls after them through the Sonoran Desert. This picture book conveys the full narrative in spirited, speech-bubbled dialogue set on expressive illustrations of talking animals. Dark outlines around the characters make their shapes pop against the softly blended colors of the desert backgrounds. Snappy back-and-forth paired with repetition and occasional rhyme enhances the story's appeal as a read-aloud. As the story progresses, the colors of the sky shift from dawn to dusk, providing subtle, visual bookends for the narrative. One page of backmatter offers a quick guide to eight easily confused pairs, and a second turns a subsequent exploration of the book into a seek-and-find of 15 creatures (and one dessert) hidden in the desert. Unfortunately, while most of the creatures from the seek-and-find appear in poses that match the illustrations in the challenge, not all of them are consistently represented. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 53.3% of actual size.) Animated and educational. (Picture book. 3-5)

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February 15, 2021
Grades 1-3 For anyone a bit hazy on the differences between a rabbit and a hare, a tortoise and a turtle, or, for that matter, a hog and a javelina, this cactus-country confab begins to clear things up. In a Sonoran Desert setting drawn in a simple cartoon style, a ground squirrel sitting atop a saguaro greets a furry passerby with "Hello, Rabbit" and gets the indignant rejoinder that "I'm no Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail. I'm a hare." A succinct disquisition on the differences between rabbit and hare ears, feet, and babies ensues. When a predator attacks with a "GOTCHA, RABBIT!" he gets a punch in the nose and a "So there, Jackal." ("Technically," the squirrel points out, "that was a coyote!") A closing table compares eight other pairs of common animals that are similar but not the same, plus, for extra credit, there's a gallery of Sonoran creatures for readers to go back and spot. Better yet, the animal cast is anthropomorphic enough to suggest a broader discussion with younger audiences of physical differences and similarities.

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