Things that go scare in the night, namely anxiety-induced dreams, challenge sweet and sensitive Little Rabbit in the Klise sisters' (Imagine Harry
) reassuring picture book. When a school assignment puts Little Rabbit's mind into overdrive with worry, he's visited at bedtime by a frightening “night mare” that carries him away, flying fast and furious. Mother Rabbit gently explains that he's having a nightmare and ultimately suggests a strategy for taming the bucking, horrible creature in his dreams. In concise and smooth-flowing text, Kate Klise adds shades of depth to the realistic, childlike personality of her bunny protagonist. The commonsense advice embedded in his cozy exchanges with Mother Rabbit will also encourage readers. M. Sarah Klise's warm, inviting acrylic paintings extend the story in playful and illuminating ways. In several nighttime scenes, for example, Little Rabbit's concerns literally swirl around his room; elsewhere, the bedding is rendered to resemble a horse. Alternately, the calm and cheery orange-hued classroom setting hums with humorous detail and features a funny menagerie of friends. Ages 3–7. (June)
