The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits

What do rabbits do all day? Florian (Pig Is Big on Books) offers a playful list of pursuits, from racing across meadows to building snow rabbits, in a jaunty book-length poem. Readers follow a herd of rabbits from morning till night, season to season, as they explore, play, and swim (“There’s leaping and creeping and digging up holes./ There’s frightening frogs and discovering moles”). Such full days guarantee that the rabbits are ready to settle in back at home: “One habit of rabbits that’s not to be missed.../ is saying ‘goodnight’ with a hug and a kiss.” The energy of Florian’s verse flows from quiet to spirited and back again, in a singsong rhythm well-suited to bedtime storytelling. In mixed-media paintings employing fluid black lines and occasional doodlelike squiggles, Sánchez (Here I Am) creates a sunny, verdant naturescape of wispy grasses, trees, and rolling clouds. The closing spreads, awash in inky darkness and featuring a drowsy rabbit crew, provide a visual wind-down to sleep, fully in step with the text. Ages 4–8. [em]Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency. (Feb.) [/em]