Blue Rabbit and the Runaway Wheel

When Blue Rabbit has an accident with his bike and his wheel flies off into the distance, he is confronted by a group of animals who want to know what this round thing is that rolled into their world and disturbed their peaceful day.

PreS-Wormell's distinctive linoleum block prints are strong enough to carry the somewhat wispy text of this follow-up to Blue Rabbit and Friends (Penguin Putnam, 2000). In this adventure, the rabbit is riding his bicycle when he runs into a rock and dislodges one of the wheels. As he looks for it, he meets Squirrel, Badger, and Tortoise. All have been knocked down or distressed by something "whizzing" by. The three innocent victims of mild mayhem follow a trail that resembles a tidy, but wayward ribbon of chocolate toothpaste, and discover that their mishaps have been caused by the errant wheel. The others brand the bunny "Reckless Rider," but he escapes their wrath by riding off on his freshly repaired bicycle. This tale is not for the safety shelf, but will be a crowd pleaser for the three-and-under set. The timeless, boldly outlined illustrations exist in a landscapeless, twilight world that will appeal to preschoolers.-Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK

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