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SATO THE RABBIT, MORNING LIGHT

From the Sato the Rabbit series , Vol. 4

Enchanting adventures for the littlest explorers.

This Japanese import sees young Sato return for more escapades.

One morning, Sato, a light-skinned child dressed in a white rabbit suit, notices a sliver of light between the curtains in his dark room. He pinches and pulls out the light, discovering whimsical uses for it during his fanciful day. After he stirs his morning coffee with the beam of light, he’s transported to a sun-splashed field. There, he “[gathers] spots of sunshine,” “[scoops] up sparkles from the riverbed,” and makes a toasty campfire. After enjoying a sandwich of falling stars and a drink made with sparkles he gathered earlier, he settles in for a twinkly night, aglow with joy from his day. Later, Sato awakens and finds himself in a lighthouse, surrounded by a cobalt sea. Again, sunlight is his playmate, and when the light forms two perfect cubes, he lifts them up, places them atop the lighthouse, and enjoys the fruit and shells that the birds and fish, attracted by the sight, bring him. The shells are magical; one transforms into a ship that puffs whimsical clouds, while another creates a magnificent sunset, bathed in orange, purple, and yellow. As night returns, Sato gazes up at the moon and stars etched into the inky black sky. Ainoya once more displays a superb gift for spare prose and playfully unusual illustrations, beginning with purple and white endpapers whose forms foreshadow the events to come, unfolding into a story of magical realism.

Enchanting adventures for the littlest explorers. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 15, 2025

ISBN: 9781592704392

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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LITTLE BLUE BUNNY

A sweet, if oft-told, story.

A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.

The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.

A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022

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KNIGHT OWL

From the Knight Owl series , Vol. 1

A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.

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    Best Books Of 2022


  • New York Times Bestseller


  • IndieBound Bestseller


  • Caldecott Honor

A young owl achieves his grand ambition.

Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.

A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 15, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022

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