Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons

Finally! Korean picture-book author and artist Il Sung Na - whose debut effort, A Book of Sleep, was one of my happiest discoveries back in 2009; and whose subsequent The Thingamabob was also quite delightful - returns with this, his third title. Originally published in the UK as Brrrr: A Book of Winter, it follows a little white rabbit as she observes her fellow creatures in the midst of their winter activities. From the turtles, who swim off to warmer waters, to the squirrels, who are busy stockpiling acorns for the cold months, "everyone knows it's winter."

I have been anticipating Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons for months now, and I think that my expectations, based on Na's previous titles, may have sabotaged show more my experience. I don't want to overstate the case, of course! As always, I enjoyed Na's artwork, with the many delightful details that he works into larger objects - the little snowflake design on the rabbit's coat, the "striped" legs on the sheep - and his appealing use of color. The narrative itself, which felt a little scattered and random, didn't do much for me, but then, it didn't bother me either. A nice celebration of Winter, with a hopeful last few pages devoted to the coming Spring - what's not to like? But although I would wholeheartedly recommend this to fans of the artist, and to young Winter lovers, I can't honestly say I loved it as much as its predecessors. Still, I remain an admirer, and will be on the lookout for future Il Sung Na projects - after all, I don't suppose I can love ALL of his books equally! show less

Beautiful. This illustrator always make me smile and then I go back to savor every page. There is such simple clarity in the images of the animals preparing for winter, yet with intricate details within each illustration.- Yes I just said it is simple AND intricate and Melissa said she wants to make skirts out of each image. Confused? See for yourself!

A lavishly illustrated tour of wild animals in their winter habitat, with a charming rabbit as guide. The landscape shifts perspective from page to page, as the rabbit peeks in on or mimics the other animals. It is a simple, lyrical narrative brought to life with gorgeous artwork, the season-change equivalent of A Book of Sleep (in which night turns to day). Children will have the opportunity to identify the animals (who aren't named in the text), describe what they are doing, and find the rabbit in each scene.

Song pairing: "Walking, Walking"
Song pairing: "Wheels on the Bus" (with geese, sheep, mice)

[This review was previously published and has been edited.]

This is the board book version of the previously released picture book. Board book versions are a toss-up - sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I think this one works really well.

The board book cuts down the cover illustration and removes the end papers, and compresses each full spread down into the 5x5 board book.

Il Sung Na's simple but lovely text makes an excellent read-aloud for young children, with just one or two short sentences on each page. In case you haven't read the picture book, it's basically a list of what different animals do in the winter, "Some gather extra food for winter, While some travel far...to find things to eat." and etc. It ends with a joyous show more welcome to spring as the rabbit, which appears in every page, changes to brown.

The illustrations are even more entrancing. Although they are delicately detailed, they are also colorful and exciting and don't lose much of their detail by being compressed into a smaller form. The patterns in the background of the art, both splotches of color and spiraling shapes, will especially catch the eye of older toddlers.

Verdict: I can see many toddlers enjoying listening to and touching this book and I would recommend having both the picture book and board book. This was an excellent choice for board book format.

ISBN: 9780307977908; Board book edition published January 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf/Random House; Review copy provided by publisher; Added to the library show less

The illustrations are the best part here. My kids had fun finding the rabbit on every page. The text was just ok, kind of awkward at times. Cute story about how different animals deal with seasonal changes.

Gorgeous picture book. Follow the rabbit through the seasons as he encounters different animals and their means of staying warm during the winter months.

Featured at An Abundance of Books

I am absolutely in love with Il Sung Na's illustrations. The rabbit is so cute, I just want to squeeze his cheeks! The layers, textures, and whimsical animals are just delightful. Na's spare text is well paced and descriptive, but really it's the illustrations that make the book. This is a great one for kindergarten teachers introducing winter to their students. I would also recommend this one to high school art teachers because it could be used to teach printing/stamping, texture, ink or watercolor painting, loads of stuff.

Verdict:
This is a beautiful book to look at and a pleasant story to read. If I had to pick an Il Sung Na book for the home library, I'd go with The Book of Sleep or The Thingamabob. show more Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit makes a nice additional resource for the classroom, but is a better library checkout for families.

Read full review HERE show less