Fluffle of bunnies

A narrative of nature's rhythms twines with terms of venery and a seek-and-find vibe in this sprightly appreciation of spring. When a gray rabbit stops visiting a field to play, a concerned scurry of squirrels begin a search. They query all the neighbors, from a charm of goldfinches to a sleuth of bears, but none of the other critters seems to know the rabbit's whereabouts. In pale, light-filled watercolors, round animalian figures are shown interacting in and around flower-dotted green hillsides, a smooth blue pond, and a tall old-growth tree all quietly teeming with life. Steadily building a seasonal freshness throughout, spare, often amusingly observational text from Matheson ("A banditry of chickadees sang/ a sweet song, but the squirrels/ thought they looked shifty") provides a happy and appropriately seasonal solution to a mystery that may well inspire young naturalists to get outdoors and explore. A glossary of collective nouns concludes. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)

While we wait for bunnies to appear, some unusual collective nouns hop past. As in her earlier book,A Mischief of Mice (2024), many of Matheson's group labels are lesser known: "a charm of goldfinches," "a bale of turtles," "a parcel of deer," "a kaleidoscope of butterflies," and "a banditry of chickadees." These fascinating collectives are naturally integrated into a sweet story. When a rabbit goes missing, the friendly local animals--among them "a scurry of squirrels," "an army of frogs," "a loveliness of ladybugs"--express concern. A sleuth of wise bears finally arrive with an explanation: She might be "busy feeding someone, deep in that cozy nest." And right on cue, the mother rabbit arrives, "leading a fluffle of bunnies." The writing, in large type and a readable font, is clear and poetic, with rhyming text but no rigid meter. The rhymes are sometimes slant or near: for instance,shifty matched withswiftly. Matheson's pastel watercolors are perfectly suited to her gentle text. Set against flat, wallpaperlike florals, the fauna are mostly realistic, though sometimes they stand upright and strike human poses. Backmatter includes facts about the animals and notes a few additional nouns; for instance, deer collectively can be called by the more commonherd, butterflies are also aswarm orflutter, and swans are also abevy, awedge (when in flight), and a bank (on land). A delightful tale to extend a budding logophile's lexicon and a young naturalist's knowledge.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.