Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner - Hardcover

Zolotow, Charlotte

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060269456 ISBN 13: 9780060269456

Publisher: Harper & Row, 1962

Synopsis

The author of such classics as My Granson Lew, Williams's Doll, and Over and Over needs no introduction. Neither does her collaborator Maurice Sendak, who has illustrated so many of today's best-loved, as well as most distinguised, books for children. The heroine of their book has a problem. And at first it does not look as though Mr. Rabbit is going to be much help in solving it . For everyone knows you cannot give your mother a red roof, a yellow taxi-cab, a green caterpillar, or a blue lake for her birthday. But then all the little girl had said was that her mother liked red, yellow, green and blue -- and so Mr. Rabbit was trying.How he and the liitle girl come up with the absolutely perfect present makes a story the the youngest reader will love. And the wonderously bright full-color pictures will bring hours of pleasure to readers and lookers of all ages.

About this title

Review

Any collaborative effort by the esteemed Charlotte Zolotow and the illustrious Maurice Sendak is bound to be a success. These beloved creators of countless children's favorites outdo themselves with this 1963 Caldecott Honor-winning classic about a little girl in need of assistance. Finding a birthday present for her mother is no easy task for our heroine. Luckily, she happens upon the avuncular Mr. Rabbit, whose heart is in the right place, even if he doesn't always have the best ideas. Ultimately, his suggestions do come in handy, and between the two of them they determine the ideal birthday tribute: the gift of color. Children will join the protagonists in contemplating how to make the abstract tangible, and all readers will be delighted to see yellow translate to bananas, as green is given in pears, and blue takes the shape of grapes.

The soft, muted colors of Sendak's illustrations are reminiscent of a Monet landscape--utterly appealing and dreamy. And the reflective, sing-song dialogue between Mr. Rabbit and the girl is as deliciously lulling as a shady swing in a hammock. This quiet, peaceful book is a treasure for any shelf. (Ages 4 to 8)

From the Back Cover

The heroine of their book has a problem. And at first it does not look as though Mr. Rabbit is going to be much help in solving it. For everyone knows you cannot give your mother a red roof, a yellow taxi-cab, a green caterpillar, or a blue lake for her birthday. But then all the little girl had said was that her mother liked red, yellow, green, and blue--and so Mr. Rabbit was trying.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper & Row
• Publication date: 1962
• ISBN 10: 0060269456
• ISBN 13: 9780060269456
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Sendak Maurice