LITTLE RABBIT AND THE NIGHT MARE

Little Rabbit needs a topic for his school report, but he rejects his mother’s suggestions of bugs, clouds, reindeer, hummingbirds or stars. “This is my first report...It has to be wonderful,” insists Little Rabbit. But the stress of his deliberations leads to worried sleep and the arrival of a scary visitor in the night. Klise’s finesse with the use of puns in her story line coupled with her sister’s abstract version of a horse (fashioned out of a flowing blanket behind a pillow-shaped snout) aids children’s understanding of two distinct concepts: Mother refers to a “nightmare” while Little Rabbit worries even more about the “night mare.” As with any bad dream, conquering it within his own mind and making a final decision on a topic allow Little Rabbit to write and present a star-quality report on night mares after getting a good night’s sleep. Deeply opaque acrylics take Little Rabbit back and forth between his bedroom and a classroom populated with a menagerie of friends. A worthy introduction to puns. (Picture book. 6-8)