He's still wearing his baby-blue bunny suit, but the preternaturally perky star of Little Rabbit Lost
and Little Rabbit Goes to School
is now a little older—and more defiant. In this newest installment, Horse once again demonstrates his intuitive understanding of preschoolers' minds and moods. After a scolding, Little Rabbit runs away from home declaring, "I'm Little Rabbit Runaway. Nobody can tell me what to do!" He meets a kindred spirit in Molly Mouse, and together they build a ramshackle house from junkyard findings. But when Molly turns into a "bossyboots," Little Rabbit runs off, only to return when a scary thunderstorm looms. As in the previous books, his mother comes to the rescue ("Little Rabbit had liked living in his own house, but he was very happy to see Mama"), reassuring young readers who admire Little Rabbit's independence but, like him, want to go home. Horse's ink-lined watercolors brim with imaginative details, especially the shack, which is furnished Borrowers
-style (dice for chairs, a book as a table). With a few strokes of his pen, Horse also gives Little Rabbit more big-kid expressions, from anger to fear to pure joy. Is Little Rabbit growing up? Perhaps. His young fans will have to wait for the next book in this delightful series to find out. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)
