That’s My Carrot!

Two rabbits—a yellow scientist and a purple musician—are superconfident carrot cultivators, certain of their expertise. So when a gargantuan carrot sprouts on the dividing line between their farms, each claims to be the rightful owner (“LOOK WHAT I GREW!” each says), even marshaling dueling construction machines to dig it up. But a subterranean creature beats them to it—one who has not only turned the giant carrot into a big pot of soup, but who also helps the bunnies get in touch with their more generous sides. Na’s (The Dreamer) sharing story is well-trod ground, but his artwork, rendered in soft, earthy colors and textures reminiscent of multilayered potato prints, is a page-after-page showcase of compositional ingenuity. One picture uses a dramatic forced perspective that places the two farms at the edge of Earth’s curvature; another, devoted to a maze-like map of an underground tunnel system, traces the rabbits’ hunt for the carrot thief via the remarks they make en route (“WRONG way” is upside down in a dead end). Even readers who refuse to eat their carrots will find this book a feast for the eyes. Ages 2–5. [em](May) [/em]