  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2013 Little Rabbit is alarmed one bright sunny day to find a large black rabbit following him: “Rabbit ran. But the Black Rabbit was right behind him.” What Rabbit doesn’t understand, but what child viewers will quickly comprehend, is that the Black Rabbit is his shadow, which explains why he can’t outrun it and why it doesn’t follow him into the dark, sunless forest. The Black Rabbit comes in quite handy, however, when a wolf chases Rabbit, only to be frightened away by the enormous rabbit shadow as they emerge into the sunlight. Tiny white Rabbit with his short, stumpy legs, big eyes, and exceptionally long ears is an endearing little guy; his fear of the silent, looming Black Rabbit is palpable in both the short, tightly focused text and the illustrations, rendering the happy ending a satisfying relief. The simple compositions and minimal but atmospheric background detail of Leathers’ subtly variegated artwork keep the focus squarely on Rabbit, his shadow, and Wolf. This would be useful for a number of educational purposes, from using as an example for making inferences (it’s never stated in the text that the Black Rabbit is Rabbit’s shadow) to introducing the science topic of light and shadow. It could also be successfully paired with Asch’s Moonbear’s Shadow for a shadow-themed storytime. JH - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 01/01/2013 PreS-Gr 3—When a little white rabbit leaves his burrow one gloriously sunny day, he see a looming black rabbit. Readers will understand that the figure is only his shadow, but the unknowing bunny runs, with Black Rabbit on his heels. He tries hiding behind a tree and swimming in a river, but the creature is still there, following him to the other side. Desperate, he runs into the deep, dark woods where he finally escapes the black rabbit. But another threat, a wolf, awaits him there, with "two eyes shining brightly," and Rabbit runs back out of the woods with Wolf close on his tail. Will the wolf devour him? Is Black Rabbit still out there, waiting for him? In this simple picture-book tale of light and shadows, the protagonist learns that what frightens us most may turn out to be our saving grace. It's a tad hair-raising at times but the ending will please. Leathers's rabbit is charming, traveling on two feet, with an exaggerated stuffed animal form that is endearing and reassuring.—C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 01/01/2013 A little white rabbit can’t seem to ditch the hulking black rabbit following him. Kids will love being in on the joke here, as Black Rabbit is actually Rabbit’s shadow. Rabbit thinks he can lose his pursuer behind a tree, but as soon as he steps back out, there he is. Same deal when Rabbit takes a dip in the river—once he puts paw onshore, “The Black Rabbit climbed out of the water, too!” So our intrepid bunny runs into the “deep, dark wood,” where surely he’ll be safe. The two glowing eyes in the darkness, however, don’t belong to Black Rabbit but to a three-toothed wolf, and there’s only one thing able to shoo him away. Debut author-illustrator Leathers’ soft, textured watercolors are never very frightening (even the wolf is more dopey than fearsome), which makes this story—one that’s ultimately about friendship—ideal for the littlest kids. Befuddled animals are always adorable, and Rabbit, with his expressive ears and large eyes, is no exception. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. Loading...
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