Out of a gigantic Easter egg hatches Thunder Bunny, a gigantic rabbit made of clouds. Artemis, Specks, and Chops love their new jumbo-sized companion, who soon grows big enough to hurdle houses. But Thunder Bunny pines for his bunny mom, and that necessitates a quest to his birthplace, Cloudland. On the way, the children and rabbit pass through Chatterland (whose citizens yak incessantly), Scribblearia (with an artistic population), Volcanoland and Silly Sea-Monster Ocean. Thunder Bunny is finally reunited with his mom (along with many other beast-shaped clouds) while the children return to earth to write, draw, and tell tales of their adventures. Candy-apple colors and wacky drawings recall the retro world of 1950s picture books and the cyber-look of computer animation. At times the illustrations are claustrophobically overcrowded, and the self-consciously zany countries seem designed more to entertain adults than literal-minded tots. But for those who daydream with their heads in the clouds, this bunny hop is tops. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1997
ISBN: 0-06-026424-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1996
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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