Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Visual appeal marks Harkness's meandering metaphorical epic, in which a search for the sun helps a child beat the Monday blues. After worriedly awakening and wishing that the day "might forget he was here," Eddie, who's depicted with light brown skin, curls up beneath the covers and is transported into a stormy landscape where his yellow stuffie, Rabbit, invites him on an expedition to find the sun. As the duo adventure forth, glimpsing glimmers while traveling high upon a cloud and then down into a "dark, raging river," Rabbit reassures at every turn. When the two eventually journey through a dark cave, they're rewarded with stars "like a million tiny suns," and a final obstacle helps Eddie find a sense of internal warmth that helps him to tackle the day. Pencil sketches sculpted in virtual reality create immersive, three-dimensional digital renderings that lend the feel of Claymation to this venturesome picture book that sensitively foregrounds a child's path to inner strength. Ages 3--6. (May)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Eddie, a young boy with light brown skin, awakes with dread on a rainy and dreary Monday morning. Closing his eyes in avoidance, a mental tempest rises in his mind. Amid the dark, ominous clouds and lightning flashes, a larger-than-life, golden yellow rabbit emerges from the turmoil to navigate Eddie through his worry: "storms are nothing to fear if you know where you're going. And we, Eddie, are going to find the sun." Soaring on a cloud above the storm, Eddie and Rabbit wander through color saturated, textured clay dreamscapes sculpted by Harkness digitally. An enchanted river, sprinkled with as many sparkling stars as above, sweeps Eddie and Rabbit away to a verdant maze, where they frolic and weave, Eddie's confidence growing among the lush greenery. Pausing on the brightest spread of the story, Eddie whispers to Rabbit, "I found the sun." Across sprawling, full spread illustrations, each an individual treasure, Harkness demonstrates the capabilities of shape as a leading visual element. A breathtaking palette of deep, serene blues melding with bright moments of yellow and buttery cream creates dramatic contrast between light and dark, '"It's only in the dark," Rabbit whispered, "That we can shine the brightest."' VERDICT A whimsical morning lullaby, this SEL adventure will gently guide readers to find the sun amid their own fears.--Emily Brush
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young boy finds a way to face his fears. Brown-haired, olive-skinned Eddie hates Mondays. He worriedly watches a rainstorm through the window and crawls back into bed with his stuffed yellow bunny. When he opens his eyes again, his bed is gone (an indicator he's dipped into a dreamscape), but the rain remains ("the sky growled…the air rumbled, low and loud"), and his body reacts in kind: "His tummy twisted. His eyes stung." Soon, his rabbit appears, larger than life, encouraging Eddie to come along to "find the sun." A magnificent journey begins as the pair swoop through storm clouds, float down a sparkling river, and head into a "deep and dark" cave. Eddie is scared, but Rabbit assures him that "It's only in the darkest of dark…that we shine the brightest." The cave contains shimmering stars, a magnificent moon, and a beautiful garden maze at the river's end. By moving through fear with a comforting companion beside him, Eddie finds himself ready to face the day. Harkness' prose has a careful, reflective cadence, but as in previous work, his illustration technique takes center stage--digitally rendered sculpture with the tremendously tactile appeal of molding clay. Color selections set the mood--stormy blue-blacks give way to calmer azure hues and creamy clouds before finally shifting into rich, exultant greens. A visually engrossing representation of feelings in flux.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
