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SPRING HARE by Eugene Yelchin

SPRING HARE

by Eugene Yelchin ; illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Pub Date: Jan. 17th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62779-392-6
Publisher: Henry Holt

A bright-eyed, tawny hare joins a red-haired, fair-skinned child on a high-flying adventure in Yelchin's first wordless picture book.

A little hare wanders into the company of a new human friend—add a trampoline, and the fun begins. Playful bounces soon send the young human soaring into the sky, and after a moment's hesitation, the hare sets off to follow. Sailing over a lush, green landscape along with a flock of geese and a bevy of hot air balloons, the hare follows close behind its freckled friend, who waves from airplane seats and the basket of a balloon as the hare flies through rain, clouds, and a rainbow. Floating steadily upward all the while, the pair finally reconnect among the stars—warm, earnest smiles plastered to their faces—and with the help of an obliging falling star, hare and human alike tumble back down to their trampoline and perhaps a new adventure. Awash in bright, springtime hues, Yelchin's illustrations (collages made with painted pieces of cut paper) provide both dynamic backdrop and rich detail in this uplifting visual narrative. Careful readers will notice the similarity between illustrations at the beginning and end that cheerfully blur the distinction between real and pretend, allowing readers to decide for themselves.

A celebration of the heights of imagination as the eponymous spring hare lives up (and up and up) to its name.

(Picture book. 2-5)