The hare who wouldn't share

In one word--"crotchety"--Small (Brave Little Bear) aptly describes the big, orange, scowling Hare who stars in this visually sumptuous fable. When a rabbit family moves into the woods, all the other animals help fill their cupboard except Hare, who won't part with a single one of his beloved turnips. The rabbits later invite him to a neighborly party, and Hare wonders, "Why would these rabbits give away so much of something they had worked so hard for when they had so little?" Then the protagonist encounters Boar heading to eat the rabbits' carrot crops, and the way the porcine creature looms over Hare and steals his turnips seems to rout the crotchetiness: Hare feels small, vulnerable, and immediately empathic to the rabbits' pending plight. Hare helps the family hide their carrots, and in yet another striking image, huddles with them in the darkness of their burrow and cautions "Shhh..." as Boar's snout protrudes through the entry. Hare's selflessness costs him his entire turnip crop, but his compensation is considerable: he is embraced, for the first time, by the entire forest community--and learns to embrace others in return. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)

Hare is certain that sharing is pointless. Can anything cause a change of heart? Turnips bring Hare great pleasure, and the cranky, enormous-eared orange creature greedily hoards them: "The more I give away, the less there is for ME." When newly arrived rabbits inquire if Hare can spare some produce until they get settled, the protagonist doesn't relent. Other animals pitch in, however, and the newcomers cook stew for all. Their generosity perplexes Hare: Why would anyone with such meager resources offer food to others? Small's descriptive, third-person narrative contrasts well with the rhyming dialogue. His animation background shines through in clean compositions that are by turn whimsical (a stovetop espresso maker accompanies Hare during nighttime gardening stints) and dramatic. Set against black backgrounds, these nocturnal views showcase vibrant vegetation patterns and introduce danger in the form of a greedy boar who steals the turnips Hare is carrying. As the boar heads toward the rabbits' carrot crop, Hare hatches a plan to foil the thief and save the day. The sight of the tip of the boar's menacing snout pushed into the rabbit warren as the new friends cower together is a cinematic marvel. Hare's transformation is believable, and although our hero's selflessness results in an empty turnip patch, what the character gains more than compensates. Giving has never been so gratifying.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.