Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons

"When snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare, everyone knows it's winter... including the rabbit." Simple text follows an assortment of animals through the winter months in scenes featuring Na's (The Thingamabob) crisp lines, effervescent color, and intricate embellishments. A round-faced white rabbit is the observer in each spread, watching as a string of ducks flies across the page ("Some fly away from the cold"), then peeping into a cave of hibernating bears ("Some have a long, cozy sleep where they live"). Sometimes the rabbit goes farther than observation: she startles a squirrel gathering acorns, leaps next to a deer who travels "far... to find things to eat," and, in the funniest spread, mimics the alligators who lurk in the swamp ("Some stay very still"), narrowing her eyes and lengthening her neck in a most unrabbitlike way. Complex and ethereal at the same time, Na's digitally manipulated spreads feature collage, stenciling, and finger painting over thickly daubed backgrounds; the pages teem with interest and texture. They're just right for dull winter bedtimes as families wait for warmer weather. Ages 1–5. (Jan.)