By Anita Lobel
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $9.99, 18 pages
When Mama Rabbit pulls out the soup pot to make dinner, she realizes there is nothing in the den to put in the pot. Imagine having ten hungry rabbit babies clamoring for food all at the same time! Papa sends them off to the garden to find good vegetables for Mama’s soup. Having a hungry tummy is good motivation, and out hop ten excited children. The first rabbit finds ONE big PURPLE cabbage. The second rabbit pulled up TWO WHITE onions. One by one the siblings find unique veggies to bring inside. Mama and Papa are proud of their little ones, and the rabbits are proud of themselves. What will dinner taste like with so many different ingredients? Caldecott Honor Book artist Anita Lobel gives young readers a tale that combines learning to count and color concepts. 10 Hungry Rabbits is a story about family, cooperation and discovery. Lobel’s illustrations were created using gouache and watercolor, perfect mediums to show the rich and varied colors and textures of fresh garden vegetables. Lobel uses patterns and repetition to reinforce reading comprehension. She employs unique adjectives as the rabbits find their veggies (i.e. dug, yanked, gathered). What a feast!
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin
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