Bunny Bungalow

A rabbit family makes a ramshackle house into a comfy home in this soothing book. Rylant's (Bear Days) rhyming text extols the pleasures of fluffy towels, teatime picnics, rocking chairs, hand-knitted blankets and bedtime stories on the porch swing. The five playful bunny children add a mischievous touch to Hayashi's (Cosmic Cousin) delightful, nostalgic illustrations; their liveliness--including making horns behind a sibling's head while posing for a family portrait and perching on an upside-down flowerpot to hear a story better--makes the world of wash basins, grandfather clocks, iron stoves and a mother in long dress and apron seem real. The book is the literary equivalent of a cup of chamomile tea at bedtime: nothing unexpected, but just the thing when it's time to wind down. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)