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PEEK-A-BOO BUNNY by Holly Surplice Kirkus Star

PEEK-A-BOO BUNNY

by Holly Surplice ; illustrated by Holly Surplice

Pub Date: Jan. 21st, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-224265-5
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

A gray rabbit plays hide-and-seek with his forest friends in this delightfully illustrated, simple story with a bouncy, rhyming text.

Surrounded by delicate flowers, Bunny stares out from the cover illustration with a transfixed expression, foreshadowing his difficulty in playing the game effectively. As his friends hide, Bunny counts to 10, slyly peeking out from behind his paws. A little mole pops up to help Bunny, trying to point out the hiding characters during the ensuing search, but Bunny is so excited to be playing the game that he bounds right past the hiding places. Finally, Bunny slumps down under a tree, dejected—but on the final, joyous spread, the animal friends all jump out shouting, “PEEK-A-BOO!” Vibrant illustrations in mixed media and collage use stylized shapes for the animals against juicy lime and lavender backgrounds that burst with flowers, leaves and trees. The wildflowers and grasses often stretch across the foreground of a full spread in an impressionistic blur, complemented by delicate leaves that hang from the overarching boughs, together framing the animal action in a distinctive, theatrical way.

Preschoolers who are just beginning to understand the game of hide-and-seek will find this irresistible.

(Picture book. 2-6)