MY FRIEND RABBIT

Bibliography:
Rohmann, Eric.2002. My Friend Rabbit. Brookfield, Connecticut: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 0-7613-2420

Awards:
2003 Caldecott Medal Award Book

Plot Summary:
My Friend Rabbit is a humorous and delightful story of the friendship between Mouse and Rabbit. It seems that even though Rabbit means well, he is always causing some kind of trouble. When Rabbit helps Mouse fly his plane, Mouse falls out and the plane ends up stuck in the tree. Rabbit, of course, immediately has a solution. His solution consists of using animals stacked on top of each other to reach the plane and get it out of the tree. As the animals come crashing to the ground, Mouse jumps for the plane and ends up rescuing Rabbit from the herd of angry animals. The story ends with the plane stuck in the same tree. Only this time, Mouse and Rabbit are stuck in the tree with the plane and once again Rabbit has an idea.

Critical Analysis:
In actuality, this book does not have many words and the illustrations tell much of the story. The way Rohmann uses the illustrations to actually show the reader Rabbit’s solution to the dilemma will keep children laughing and guessing what animal Rabbit will drag or carry to stack next. He uses this same method to portray the part of the story where the animals come crashing to the ground. The illustrations are well suited to the story and even though the reader can tell that the story takes place out of doors on a sunny day, the simple use of the blue sky and grass allows the reader to fully appreciate the detail and expressions on the animals’ faces which are priceless.

Connections:
Children will relate to the friendship between Mouse and Rabbit due to the fact that at some time or another, they have been frustrated or upset with their friends but have forgiven them because they are a friend. This book lends itself well to discussions of friendship, feelings we have for our friends and how we can deal with situations that arise. Also using Rabbit’s “solution” as an example, children can discuss why or why not his plan works as the story is being read and they can predict what will happen next.


Review Excerpts:
KIRKUS REVIEW: “Young readers and pre-readers will chortle at the silliness of it all while enjoying the sometimes-demanding friendship between these disparately sized chums.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “ The text is minimal; it’s the illustrations that are the draw here.”