Review by Booklist Review
Three generations of a bunny family go out to gather vegetables for their stew. After a satisfying morning in the garden, they return home to peel and chop, and cook. When two little bunnies help carry the pot to the table, one slips, dumping their dinner onto the floor. However, the spill doesn't dampen the characters' spirits for long. Disappointed but forgiving, the family pitches in to clean up the house and forage for a different but still delicious dinner. The eight bunnies are always paired (Bunny seven and bunny eight / bounce down the path and through the gate ) in the bouncy, rhyming text. The book could be used for counting practice, but children will probably be content to enjoy the cozy bustle of the bunnies' activities. Chorao's soft strokes and washes of colors create sunny scenes that brim with activity and winsome details. A cheerful romp for young children. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In this simple rhyming story, eight bunnies spend the day making vegetable stew. They pick the ingredients in the garden, prepare them, and cook up a mouthwatering dish. But then, "Bunny one and bunny two/are balancing the pot of stew./Bunny three and bunny four/shout, `Watch the peelings on the floor!'" When the stew inevitably spills, the depressed and hungry rabbits must band together to form a new plan. Back outdoors they go, this time to pick vegetables for a salad, which they share during a nighttime picnic. Soft cartoon illustrations in sugary pastel colors depict the family against detailed backgrounds. With all the bunny and counting books available, this overly sweet story is an additional purchase for most libraries.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Busy double-page spreads filled with springtime colors illustrate this tale about counting and cooperation, as eight bunnies hop, skip, and jump their way into the garden, then back to the kitchen to make a stew. Although the cheerful rhyme falters in places, the bunnies' nighttime picnic makes a satisfying end to the story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Evans's bright springtime tale cheerily details a bunny family's attempts to make a tasty stew. From stately hares with walking sticks to ebullient tots, the family sets out en masse to take advantage of their bountiful garden. In sprightly rhyming couplets, Evans describes their adventures harvesting and preparing the vegetables. However, calamity strikes when the stew is accidentally overturned by the smallest family members. Undeterred by the loss of their hard-wrought stew, the bunnies improvise an evening picnic instead. Young readers--no strangers to spills and mishaps--will readily identify with the young culprits and appreciate Evans's gentle model of forgiveness and teamwork. Chorao's lavishly detailed illustrations are typically in a refreshing blend of vernal hues; mint greens and lemon yellows provide eye-catching contrasts with the poppy pinks and vivid oranges of the girls' dresses. The appealing mix of playful artwork and sing-song rhymes make this an ideal story to share with a preschool audience. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
