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Rabbityness by Jo Empson (view source)
Revision as of 07:26, 17 September 2020
, 07:26, 17 September 2020no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox2
|title=Rabbityness
|author=Jo Empson
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1846434822
|pages=32
|publisher=Child's Play (International) Ltd
|date=February 2012
|amazonukaznuk=<amazonuk>1846434823</amazonuk>|amazonusaznus=1846434823|cover=<amazonus>1846434823</amazonus>
|website=http://www.joempson.co.uk/
|summary=A colourful, unusual, moving story for little ones that deals beautifully with the idea of loss and rediscovering happiness.
}}
'''Longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2013'''
Rabbit is a very rabbity rabbit. He loves doing rabbity things like hopping and jumping, washing his ears and burrowing. He also likes doing unrabbity things too, like painting, and making music, filling the woods where he lives with music and colour! But one day, Rabbit disappears. Where has he gone? The other rabbits find everything has become grey and silent without Rabbit. They find that Rabbit left behind some gifts, lots of things to make colour and music with. Together they all begin to discover that they enjoy doing unrabbity things, and that doing these things makes them think of Rabbit and they feel happy.
The illustrations throughout are lovely, again often very simple with a lovely watercolour-wash feel to them. The colourful, musical pages seem full of life, and the page showing Rabbit feeling very happy is lovely. The bright pages contrast well with those in grey and black washes which show the sadness of the other rabbits, and slowly the colour creeps back in until the woods are once again bright and noisy with happiness.
I'm aware that this could sound like a rather depressing story, but it's actually very lovely. It would work very well to help little children deal with any death or loss in their lives, but it also still works as a story to enjoy and share together, with the idea that when you remember people who aren't there, or do the things they loved to do, it can make you feel happy too. A lovely, unusual picture book. We also enjoyed Empson's [[Never Ever by Jo Empson|Never Ever]].
You may also like to take a look at [[The Bear and the Wildcat by Kazuni Yumoto and Komako Sakai]]
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