The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit

“I have not seen many rabbits moping, but when they do, their ears droop.” So begins this pitch-perfect new adventure of the mischievous bunny who first appeared 110 years ago in Beatrix Potter’s original tale. Perhaps understandably, Peter is, by now, a bit bored with life in the sandbank. Warned against wandering off by Benjamin Bunny (“Too many carts on the road.... Too many owls, and too many foxes”), Peter (again) wriggles under Mr. McGregor’s gate, this time into an “interesting basket smelling of onions.” After eating the picnic lunch within, he nods off, awakened later by the jostling of a horse-drawn cart he’s been loaded onto, which is en route to, of all places, Scotland. There he meets Finlay McBurney, “a HUGE black rabbit in a kilt, a dagger thrust into the top of his laced-up boot,” and a distant relative. Peter is in good hands with Finlay and gets the adventure he sought. Thompson and Taylor preserve the delicious dry wit of Potter’s original tales—this is top-notch read-aloud fare that both children and their parents will enjoy. Here’s to having Peter hop into trouble for another hundred years. Includes an audio recording of the tale, read by Thompson. Ages 5–6. (Sept.)