“Six little rabbits / Down by the lake / Munching on carrots / And chocolate cake”—until they hear a dreadful plop! And with that, the bunnies are off and running, and so is Dubosarsky’s humorous tale. A cavalcade of creatures—from forest and jungle to grassland and farm—join the fear-mongering rabbits in trying to escape the plop. All flee, except the big brown bear. With his grizzly attitude, he coerces the littlest rabbit into taking him to see the monstrous thing. But when the plop reappears, the macho bear hightails it away, leaving the bunny—who discovers the plop’s source—with the last laugh. Joyner, whose illustrations are reminiscent of ’50s-style American animation, turns the story from playful to downright hilarious. Delectable pictures of cake are collaged into large swaths of color; mixed-media use of fur lends texture to the artwork, with all held together by crisp, fluid line work. Based on a cumulative folktale, this lively story reassures readers that things are not always as scary as they may seem—and is guaranteed to see many multiple readings. “Again!” (Picture book. 3-6)
