Review by Booklist Review
Large ocean residents--great white sharks, giant squid, blue whales--often get the glory, while some of the smaller sea-dwellers are overlooked. Here, Raymundo focuses on one of those littler critters, the astonishingly adorable sea bunny. These diminutive sea slugs are undeniably cute, but there is much more to them. They look soft and furry, but they produce slippery slime. The "fuzzy" rabbit ears and fluffy tail? Those are actually used to smell and breathe! And that sweet exterior is masking a sinister surprise: they love to snack on poisonous sponges and in turn become poisonous to potential predators. This delightful enterprise is structured as a dialogue between a serious narrator and an unseen audience who can't keep their exclamations and questions to themselves, despite pleas from the former to maintain a respectful silence. It's all in good fun, and the playful illustrations capture details of both the darling sea bunny and the vast ocean in a charming, cartoon-like style. Young readers will come away with a flurry of fun facts and a new "furry" favorite.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Raymundo (I Am Not a Fish!) dives once more into the deep, this time introducing the sea bunny--an inch-long species of sea slug whose rhinophores resemble rabbit ears and whose gills resemble a fluffy tail. The book is constructed as a presentation by an unseen narrator, who is vainly trying to both distill facts and keep an equally unseen and rambunctiously curious audience quiet so as not to disturb the shy creature. Right after one of the group insists, "Oh, I'm good at being quiet," there's a cry of "WHOA! What's all that... STUFF?" in bold text barely contained by a dialogue balloon; the sea bunny moves across the ocean floor, leaving behind a trail of bright green slime. The explanation, in much smaller, volume-lowering type, includes the wisdom, "You should never judge a slug by its slime." The book's centerpiece is a showcase for Raymundo's exuberant, cinematic style: it shows how the sea bunny ingests a poisonous sea sponge to make itself inedible to a predator. Rendered with thick, energetic black outlines and swaths of translucent color, it's infotainment of the best kind--smart, funny, and just the right amount of gross. Ages 3--5. (June)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
What's 1 inch long, smells with its ears, and breathes through its butt? Sea bunnies! Well, they don't actually breathe through their butts, but their gills are on their rear ends….A gaggle of children is on the hunt for the elusive sea bunny. Their instructor is attempting to curb their loud enthusiasm (but failing at it) while demystifying the mysterious but incredibly cute sea slug known as the sea bunny. It moves along on a trail of self-producing gross slime, has terrible eyesight, and has a nifty secret weapon--poisonous sea sponges! No, it doesn't fling sopping wet sponges at its enemies, it eats the sponges, which makes it taste disgusting. Ingenious! Raymundo effectively uses large speech bubbles for the kids' energetic questions and observations, with a smaller, unobtrusive type for the matter-of-fact commentary of their instructor. The interactions among children and adult are humorous, informative, and organic. By using the Q & A format, Raymundo allows the readers to be drawn in and participate in this charming undersea adventure. Raymundo's experience as a Disney animator can be appreciated in these colorful, engaging illustrations. Who knew a tiny slug could convey so many emotions? The personalities of the characters come through loud and strong--from the endearing and unassuming protagonist to the ravenous villain. Not just another fish story--will be a favorite with fledgling marine biologists and landlubbers everywhere. (Informational picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
