Lovey Bunny

“I love just about everything!” declares Lombardi’s narrator, a young rabbit whose many passions including reading, making art, and playing dress-up. But Lovey loves her mother’s gorgeous, handmade, full-length evening dress too much: she puts it on (“I’m such a glamorous bunny!” she says, as dreams of paparazzi dance in her head), scooters around the neighborhood waving “to all my admirers,” and returns home with the dress in tatters. Debut author-artist Lombardi starts out strong in establishing her irrepressible heroine, and her pencil and gouache drawings, rendered in shades of pink and brown, have a craftsy, sweet exuberance. But the story’s credibility gets stretched by Lombardi’s literal, grown-up take on Lovey’s feelings (“I got so caught up in the moment”), as well as a resolution that finds Mama happy to stay home from her big event and cook dinner for the family instead, wearing the dress that Lovey has tried to patch. Even the most optimistic kid with the most understanding parents knows that’s not how it goes down in the real world. Ages 3–7. Agency: Shannon Associates. (Mar.)