With simple prose and spare watercolors, this small-size picture book (in the same format of Schulman and So's Countdown to Spring!) describes the seasonal life cycle of "a little brown bunny rabbit [who hops] out of the woods and into a garden." Schulman's language is economical and straightforward as she describes the delight the brown bunny takes in the garden's summer strawberries and marvels at the flowers. By winter, the bunny has "found a friend" to snuggle with in the snow, and by spring, they bring three new baby bunnies to the garden. A slinking elderly cat provides a non-scary chase now and then, but in Schulman's gentle world there are no marauding owls, no Mr. McGregor. The emphasis is on peace and tranquility, and the sweet bunny even takes time to smell the flowers. So's enchanting illustrations seem a bit cramped on these petite pages, but the paintings accentuate the glories to be found in each season. Bright-red poppies dot a sea of wildflowers, yellow maple leaves swirl around orange pumpkins, and the dancing rabbits create circular patterns in the white snow. "What a wonderful garden someone has made just for me," thinks the brown bunny, and readers who are just developing an appreciation for nature's beauty will agree. Ages 2-6. (Jan.)
