Review by Booklist Review
As a young girl begins to climb onto a trampoline, she notices a small rabbit in the grass nearby. The rabbit joins her in jumping and then flying as their motions propel them into the air. The girl disappears from the frame, but as the rabbit follows, we see them in the sky in an old-fashioned open airplane, a hot-air balloon, a storm, a rainbow, a jet, and a spaceship, and, finally, on a space walk. The rabbit hitches a ride on a falling star, landing back with the girl on the trampoline. The final image shows the now friends walking away together. Though the book is wordless, the subtle play on language is evident, particularly with spring meaning both the season and the bouncy action of the plot. Yelchin's collage illustrations constantly change perspective and point of view, and he uses energetic, rich tones of yellows, greens, blues, reds, and oranges to communicate movement and buoyancy, which playfully capture the exuberant feelings new friendship, the joy of movement, and the possibilities of imagination.--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Backyard trampoline jumpers sometimes feel as though they can bounce right up into the sky, and that's just what happens in Yelchin's wordless fantasy. A freckled, red-haired girl invites a rabbit onto her trampoline, and they both bounce skyward. Is it the rabbit's daydream? The girl's? It doesn't matter. An aerial spread shows the rabbit in midair, fields and forests far below. A small biplane flies by, the rabbit grabs its tail, and it spies the redheaded girl in the passenger seat. Still rocketing upward, the rabbit again finds the girl in a hot-air balloon, a jet, and an astronaut suit in the dark of space. Their tender, repeated reunions recall the out-and-back movement of toddlers as they set off on exploratory forays and then return to safety. Yelchin (Elephant in the Dark) plays the earthy, red-brown warmth of the rabbit's fur off the cool blue of the sky, and his use of collage magnifies the sense of characters suspended in midair. The action ricochets into outer space and back like a magnificent bungee jump, and the girl's presence offers reassurance throughout. Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-An adorable hare and a little girl bounce on a trampoline as high as they can. The rabbit jumps so high that he's able to soar through the sky, with the little girl close behind in various modes of air transportation. The presentation is wordless, but there is a lot of detail to talk about as well as minor challenges (birds, hot-air balloons) that the hare has to overcome to continue his upward journey into the stratosphere. The hare hitches a ride on a shooting star to come back down to Earth and join his friend back on the trampoline. Illustrations have been traditionally drawn, then cut to create a collage feel; seeing individually cut blades of grass, trees, drops of rain, and stars seems to add to the imagination of the piece. Young viewers will want to spend time poring over the pictures and constructing narratives. Although the book is not as seasonal as the name or cover would imply, it does feature a bright blue and green palette that might work for a spring storytime. VERDICT A warm and fanciful journey suitable for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI © Copyright 2016. 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
Yelchin's whimsical wordless tale begins with a red-haired girl and a curious rabbit enjoying a trampoline. One big bounce sends them into the sky. A series of progressively fanciful scenes unfolds in the air before they eventually land back on the trampoline. Panoramic spreads, along with a range of textures and a vibrant color palette, result in an immersive and buoyant bounce of an adventure. (c) Copyright 2017. 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 bright-eyed, tawny hare joins a red-haired, fair-skinned child on a high-flying adventure in Yelchin's first wordless picture book. A little hare wanders into the company of a new human friendadd a trampoline, and the fun begins. Playful bounces soon send the young human soaring into the sky, and after a moment's hesitation, the hare sets off to follow. Sailing over a lush, green landscape along with a flock of geese and a bevy of hot air balloons, the hare follows close behind its freckled friend, who waves from airplane seats and the basket of a balloon as the hare flies through rain, clouds, and a rainbow. Floating steadily upward all the while, the pair finally reconnect among the starswarm, earnest smiles plastered to their facesand with the help of an obliging falling star, hare and human alike tumble back down to their trampoline and perhaps a new adventure. Awash in bright, springtime hues, Yelchin's illustrations (collages made with painted pieces of cut paper) provide both dynamic backdrop and rich detail in this uplifting visual narrative. Careful readers will notice the similarity between illustrations at the beginning and end that cheerfully blur the distinction between real and pretend, allowing readers to decide for themselves. A celebration of the heights of imagination as the eponymous spring hare lives up (and up and up) to its name. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
