09 Mar / Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na
Surely the wintry melée is over, especially since our son and I have the tell-tale signs of sneezing and wheezing with the bursting buds. Not that we’re complaining, of course!
Celebrate the warmth with little rabbit and his friends as they shed the last season. All their careful preparations – from flying south to long naps, from thickened woolly coats to their hoards of food – have kept them safe and warm through the frost and chill. “But when the snow has melted and the trees are in bloom … everyone knows it’s spring!”
As sweet as the story is, Korean-born, London-trained Il Sung Na‘s illustrations are what make this title memorable. The intricate, surprising details with which he imbues his drawings add both whimsy and depth: check out the floral white-on-while details on the bunny’s body, as if his winter coat is taking on the swirling patterns of the falling snow. The trees just behind him are stylistically elongated, their bark carefully textured and variegated.
And that tiny snowrabbit patiently looking on from the left corner – complete with twiggy arms and three round buttons in three bright colors – is a playful, beckoning invitation for the youngest readers to come join in …
Readers: Children
Published: 2011 (United States)