Bunnies on Ice
In a family of ice-skating bunnies, there is one “champion” (at least in her own mind)—a little girl bunny, dressed entirely in pink. She tells us, “when you’re a champion ice-skater, you have to wait for the conditions to be just right,” and so wait she does, through each season. In spring, while the parental bunnies tend their garden, our girl draws skating diagrams; in summer, while the others swim, bunny plays with what appears to be an ice-skating bunny action figure; in fall, the family harvests while our girl puts skates on a scarecrow. Soon it’s winter, and you know what snow and dropping temperatures mean: it’s time. Wright (The Secret Circus, 2009) touches on well-traversed picture-book themes here, including confidence, patience, and single-minded obsession. Her signature naïf, acrylic-on-canvas artwork is the star of the show; warm and inviting, it depicts the bunny family’s cozy tree dwelling and a myriad of wonderful details (a snowman with bunny ears!). Nice for wintertime sharing over a cup of cocoa. Preschool-Grade 2. --Kelley, Ann