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32 pp.
| Holiday/Porter |
October, 2019 |
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-4358-1$18.99
(2)
PS
Making a cake with Mother Rabbit only to discover they're out of berries ("'No berries, no cake.' 'No cake? No way!'") leads a motivated Mini Rabbit on a berry-finding mission. If only Mini Rabbit had waited for Mother Rabbit's helpful suggestion of where to look...but then this book would have been much shorter and not nearly as entertaining. Different fonts for narration and dialogue add textual clarity, while refrains expressing Mini Rabbit's determination ("I can find berries") and one-track mind ("Cake! Cake! Cake!") should appeal to young viewers. Throughout his varied, vibrant, textured art, Bond offers a plethora of visual jokes and intriguing details (including reappearing critters, nearly hidden creatures with expressive eyes, and the presence of berries on almost every page). While trekking through the forest, to the seaside, and up a snowy mountain, the protagonist rejects all assistance and advice: "Don't you need your coat?" "You're not lost, are you?" Mini Rabbit realizes the latter questioner might be on to something only after finally finding a berry (in a slightly ominous-looking cave). But just then a delicious berry cake smell leads Mini Rabbit safely home to Mother Rabbit and, in a humorous twist, a new goal. With all the details to notice, repeated readings will likely enthusiastically be called for...as will cake.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2020