Review by Booklist Review
While hopping along, an inquisitive, energetic bunny imagines taking on the qualities of the things he sees. Bouncing through the grass, he wonders what it would be like to be green. Then he pictures himself as tall as trees, as immovable as rocks, and as free-flying as a butterfly. Alternating spreads show the little rabbit in each imagined state: mossy green and camouflaged; peering over the top of a pine. When danger appears in the form of a far-off cat, he scurries home, where his mother welcomes him in a warm hug. In keeping with the style of Henkes' most recent picture books, such as My Garden (2010), the colored-pencil-and-acrylic art combines thick outlines with vibrant hues, here mostly in a soothing palette of green that fits the nature setting and the comforting tone. Design touches also extend the story: white borders frame the rabbit's real-world adventures, while spreads illustrating his fantasies burst out to the very edges of the book in images as big and full as his dreams.--Medlar, Andrew Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dipping into the grassy, blossoming palette of his My Garden, Henkes depicts a bunny's spring day. His sequence salutes Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's classic The Runaway Bunny, for this little white rabbit also has a good imagination. "When he hopped through the high grass, he wondered what it would be like to be green," and "When he hopped by the fir trees, he wondered what it would be like to be tall." Each time the rabbit ponders another way of life, a wordless spread follows, picturing him camouflaged, tree-height, or transformed into a stone bunny for an entire day. Spying a cat, the bunny darts home to nuzzle a mother rabbit (also reminiscent of Brown and Hurd's): "he didn't wonder who loved him." In Henkes's colored pencil and acrylic closeups of the young rabbit, a moss-green outline and typeface (rather than a neutral black or brown) suggest verdant meadows and warm forests. Cool pink, soft blue, and dandelion yellow wildflowers will remind some of an Easter basket. Sweet and soft, this picture book heralds a sunny spring. ~ Ages 2-7. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A venturesome bunny investigates the spring countryside, wondering what it would be like to be green as the grass, tall as a fir tree, or motionless as a rock, before returning safely home to his mother. An affectionate ode to the power of imagination, lushly illustrated and lyrically told. (Feb.) (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Kevin Henkes has a rare ability to see through the eyes of children of all ages; in his latest picture book, he returns to the world of his youngest audience. Little white rabbit is the small child with limitless curiosity and imagination to match. Square-bordered pictures of the energetic bunny hopping through idyllic fields and forest face clean white pages with a simple line or two, in which the rabbit 'wonder[s] what it would be like to be'. . .just about everything. Alternating full-spread illustrations depict his rich inner life, where he is green as the high grass, tall as the fir trees, or still as a rock (with Henkes paying homage to Sylvester and the Magic Pebble here). Bold lines, expressive movement, and the springtime palette of pink, blue, and lush woodsy greens will delight the child's eye; even the pine-green text, gentler than black, adds to the visual appeal. In a classic theme, a brief scare is followed by a warm and reassuring return home. 'He still wondered about many things, / but he didn't wonder who loved him.' LAUREN ADAMS (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
