Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--4--Haneru Sato, the most imaginative Japanese boy in a bunny suit to ever grace the page, returns. And who better to guide readers along a journey of absolute imagination? In a series of short stories, Sato explores nature and finds fantastic things. In "The Green Screw," he twists a tender green sprout until a blooming forest rises up around him. "Falling Rain" sees Sato tie together the falling rain with ribbons and use the curtains of rainwater as drapery in a ballroom. And in "Fallen Leaves," he rolls up leaves as if they are a red carpet and unfurls it at a wedding. The artwork is colorful and varied; the moon is especially beautiful, shining brightly in a buttery, warm yellow glow. Paired with the illustrations is succinct, crisp text. The language sparkles when onomatopoeia is employed. Each story ends with a little bunny emoji, a minute detail that adds to an already charming presentation. VERDICT In Sato's world, it's not that nothing is what it seems; instead, everything is exactly what it seems to be when viewed from his unique perspective. A beautiful addition to all collections.--Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA
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Review by Horn Book Review
Sato, the boy in the rabbit costume from Sato the Rabbit (rev. 1/21), returns for seven cozy, dreamy, nature-based adventures. In "The Green Screw," Sato comes across a tiny, green, screwlike sprout. He turns it, and with every rotation more and more trees pop into leaf. Then he finds a daisy-looking flower, and when he rotates it like a steering wheel, green leaves shower down upon him. There are other creatures in Sato's world, mostly small children in costumes with animal ears, like his, and he even has a party where he plays the tuba to accompany the rain's "music." But for the most part, these small stories are solitary adventures in a benign, quirky setting full of soft pillows, delicious snacks (what would a bit of moon taste like?), and surprising transformations. Like many narratives that celebrate joy and harmony, it ends with a wedding. Sato, in text and (gorgeous) pictures, is industrious, curious, experimental, and focused, using the found materials around him to fashion inventions (a curtain made of rain, a rolled-up red carpet made of fallen leaves) that enhance his surroundings and provide an arena for his imagination. In other words, Sato is every child at play. Sarah Ellis January/February 2022 p.77(c) Copyright 2022. 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
Sato the Rabbit returns after his eponymous debut (2021) in a set of adventures all about nature. In this Japanese import, Haneru Sato, the pale-skinned child who dresses as a white rabbit, explores the out-of-doors, manipulating elements in nature in a series of seven delightful and slightly surreal stories. In one, Sato discovers what looks like a small sprout and turns it slowly, as if it were a "green screw." As he does so, the arid field he stands in fills with green ("pop," we read, as buds form on trees all around him). In another story, Sato throws a rain party, tying sheets of rain with ribbon and making "rain music" with friends; the shimmering rain sheets, bundled like curtains, make for a magical, indelible image. And in another story, Sato grabs the moon's reflection from a lake and hangs it out to dry before putting it on his bed and cuddling up beneath it. Each of these stories captures the imaginative wonder of a child's perspective and embraces a genuine but never cloying whimsy. Compositions vary, with some spreads featuring vignettes and other illustrations taking up every inch of the spread, such as the glorious "shower of green" Sato creates with the turn of the green screw. The artwork pops with color and texture and depicts beautiful, dreamlike vistas. Sato endears himself to readers; he is inquisitive, clever, and generous. (It's thanks to him that his friends get to visit the "rain-column ballroom.") A welcome return. (Picture book. 4-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
