Tiny Rabbit should be introduced to David Kirk’s Oh So Tiny Bunny (2013), which also successfully explores the same theme.
Like lots of children and lots of picture-book characters, tiny rabbit wants to be big. Very big.
The little brown bunny wants to be “as huge / as the forest / with legs as TALL / as trees / and eyes the size / of moons.” He describes other animals and natural structures of gigantic size, but despite his intense wishes, he remains small. As time passes, he does grow in stature (slightly), but after he focuses on wishing to be powerful like a gorilla, he does grow in an important way. His ears grow much longer, giving him the power to hear “every loud / or quiet / SOUND / in the forest.” Tiny rabbit can enjoy sounds both loud and soft, and he can notice the sounds of hungry lions and escape back to his rabbit den, “ENORMOUSLY / happy / to be smart and… / small.” Acrylic paintings of tiny rabbit’s environment are filled with jolly, smiling animals, although the huge lion does lick his lips in a slightly sinister way. The short text is integrated within the illustrations, with words indicating size set in different colors and varied types. Though the story isn’t particularly revolutionary, tiny rabbit is an appealing character with an imagination that outstrips his diminutive size.
Tiny Rabbit should be introduced to David Kirk’s Oh So Tiny Bunny (2013), which also successfully explores the same theme. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-547-85286-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
“What’s big?” asks a pleasant pink pig as he compares himself to cows, cars, trucks, streets, the neighborhood, the city, and the earth, and finally to the universe, which “makes everything seem small.” Although the concept of relative size is well taken, the expansion from self to universe is flawed by the incongruity of some of the images. The pig and the cow squeeze into a model T–type car that is stuck in the mud, but are towed by a modern tow truck into a modern city. In the final sequence, the sun seems smaller than the earth. A simple verse pattern carries the lilting text with each verse ending with the repetitive phrase “What’s bigger than . . .” Florian’s double-paged watercolor paints and colored pencil are soft and muted, sometimes too muted, particularly in background areas. Occasional flashes of humor illustrate the text as the cow and the pig travel through a city populated by animals at work and at play. It ends with an amusing image of the pig as a constellation in the universe. Not Florian’s best effort, but a good conversation-starter with a young child about comparative size. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-688-17125-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun from the first page to the last.
It’s not hard to guess what will happen to unattended sausages with dogs around….
Ten pooches of various sizes and species stare longingly at 10 sausages up on the table. One big dog jumps onto the table and sets the rumpus in motion: “1 dog with all the sausages.” “9 dogs with none.” The table’s knocked over, and two dogs play tug of sausage: “2 dogs each with half of them.” “8 dogs wanting some.” The tussle continues, and three dogs end up with most of the sausages, while the other seven have only three. What follows is sausage guarding, snatching, playing, and catching. Each double-page spread features a different split of 10 until each of the 10 dogs has a sausage…and then the inevitable happens (followed by a nap). Gravett’s follow-up to 10 Cats (2023) is just as raucous and enjoyable. The pups might look a bit sad at one time or another, but it is obvious they are always playing (until they are eating), and in the penultimate spread they all work together to help the wiener dog get to the final wiener. All will laugh at the antics, and youngsters owned by doggies will easily pick out their canine companions in the crowd…they might even learn some simple math. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fun from the first page to the last. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781914912597
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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