Reviews from 4–7 years

The Magic Rabbit by Annette Le Blanc Cate

This is a really simple tale. A white rabbit gets separated from Ray, his human magician ‘business partner’ and wanders lost through a large city until, with the help of a trail of glittering stars, he’s eventually reunited with his friend and ‘his very own hat’. The illustrations are drawn in a scratchy ink line and, with the exception of the gold stars, shaded solely in grey tones, which feels just right for the urban setting and helps create real atmosphere as the day turns into night. There’s lots to look at in the parks, alleys and sidewalks (it’s an American city), and the book has a gentle charm that’s reflected in the text as well as the pictures. The happy ending is touching too and just cries out for a big ‘Ahhh!’