Review by Booklist Review
A gray rabbit and his friends love to play hide-and-seek. Bunny is it, so he has to find his playmates. But he rushes around haphazardly and completely misses his buddies, even those not hidden well. The surprise at the story's end caps an entertaining read with well-scanning rhymes and delightful colorful illustrations. Mixed media and collage reveal an early spring day, with its lovely wildflowers and budding trees as background for the solid-colored animals hidden in plain sight. Young readers will have fun seeking out the animals Bunny doesn't find. Only one quibble: since moles are almost blind, it's curious that animal was chosen as Bunny's companion along the way: Bunny busy stretching high, doesn't see what Mole can spy. Children won't notice and will enjoy perusing the pictures and watching others play a game they know so well. Pair this with Marie Torres Cimarusti's Peek-A-Bloom! (2010) for more rabbit fun.--Owen, Maryann Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Bunny's with his friends today,/ and there's one game they love to play!/ Bunny, Bunny, don't you peek..../ Bunny, Bunny, hide and seek!" Unfortunately for Bunny, the rabbit is kind of terrible at seeking, racing past his hidden friends. Bunny's friend Mole tries to keep up, pointing out the hidden animals Bunny has missed (in a fun reversal of the mole-with-poor-eyesight cliche). Readers can get in on the action, too, spotting the animals that peek from behind tree trunks and clusters of foliage; it's not difficult to spot them, but Surplice's mixed-media collages invite close study themselves. Her pale pastel backdrops feature heavily worked textures of plaster and paint, with a riot of vivid flowers and leaves incorporated digitally. The animals have plenty of personality, too, creating a mood of playful fun around the game; when Bunny nearly gives in to frustration at the end, his friends are there to boost his spirits. Surplice (About a Bear) offers a simple but energetic game of hide-and-seek, with buoyant visuals and rhymes. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Bunny and his friends play hide-and-seek in the forest. After covering his eyes and counting to 10, he hops off in search of Turtle, Bear, Hare, Owl, Squirrel, and Skunk. In distracted excitement, the rabbit peers into trees, sniffs on the ground, and completely overlooks somebody hiding right beside him: "Bunny hopping here and there...Bunny, Bunny misses Hare." A little black mole tries to point him in the right direction, but the preoccupied player doesn't catch the mole's hints. He starts to feel blue, not having any luck at the game, until his friends surprise him with a chorus of "PEEK-A-BOO!" The brief, rhyming text is bouncy and has a lively read-aloud appeal. Surplice's fetching collage and mixed-media illustrations have lots of colorful wildflower and woodland hiding places to explore. Toddlers will enjoy spotting the hidden animals before the bunny does.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2013. 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
Bunny and his woodland friends play hide-and-seek in this easy-to-read rhyme with attractive collage illustrations. "Bunny jumping on the spot. / Bunny coming, ready or not!" He dashes about and can't seem to find anyone until they pop out and surprise him with "PEEK-A-BOO!" Readers will have a good time spotting the animals hiding in the flowery forest. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A gray rabbit plays hide-and-seek with his forest friends in this delightfully illustrated, simple story with a bouncy, rhyming text. Surrounded by delicate flowers, Bunny stares out from the cover illustration with a transfixed expression, foreshadowing his difficulty in playing the game effectively. As his friends hide, Bunny counts to 10, slyly peeking out from behind his paws. A little mole pops up to help Bunny, trying to point out the hiding characters during the ensuing search, but Bunny is so excited to be playing the game that he bounds right past the hiding places. Finally, Bunny slumps down under a tree, dejectedbut on the final, joyous spread, the animal friends all jump out shouting, "PEEK-A-BOO!" Vibrant illustrations in mixed media and collage use stylized shapes for the animals against juicy lime and lavender backgrounds that burst with flowers, leaves and trees. The wildflowers and grasses often stretch across the foreground of a full spread in an impressionistic blur, complemented by delicate leaves that hang from the overarching boughs, together framing the animal action in a distinctive, theatrical way. Preschoolers who are just beginning to understand the game of hide-and-seek will find this irresistible. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
