Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons

by Il Sung Na

Overview

What do the animals do when the snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare?  Some fly long distances, while some swim to warmer waters.  Some take a long, warm sleep where they live, while others have a thick, cozy coat and can stay in the snow!

As with Il Sung Na's previous books, Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit is filled with rich illustrations, charming animals, and a simple, lyrical text—all wrapped up in a gorgeous package. It's a gentle introduction to the ideas of adaptation, hibernation, and migration, and an exhuberant celebration of changing seasons.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375986017
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/30/2011
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	24
Lexile:	450L (what's this?)
File size:	43 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Originally from Korea, IL SUNG NA studied illustration at Kingston University in London. A Book of Sleep was his first picture book, followed by The Thingamabob. To learn more about Il Sung Na and his work, please visit IlSungNa.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Starred Review, School Library Journal, February 2011:
"Done in ink and oils, overlaid and enhanced digitally with various shapes and layers, the art is vibrant and sports unusual colors with whimsical details. A lovely selection to share with younger children."

Editorial Reviews

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit is the latest of Na's deceptively simple storybooks…where a straightforward tale of nature or nighttime is elevated by distinctive illustration into a somewhat more enchanted realm than that of mere snowfall and frozen dirt.
—The New York Times

Pamela Paul

"When snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare, everyone knows it's winter... including the rabbit." Simple text follows an assortment of animals through the winter months in scenes featuring Na's (The Thingamabob) crisp lines, effervescent color, and intricate embellishments. A round-faced white rabbit is the observer in each spread, watching as a string of ducks flies across the page ("Some fly away from the cold"), then peeping into a cave of hibernating bears ("Some have a long, cozy sleep where they live"). Sometimes the rabbit goes farther than observation: she startles a squirrel gathering acorns, leaps next to a deer who travels "far... to find things to eat," and, in the funniest spread, mimics the alligators who lurk in the swamp ("Some stay very still"), narrowing her eyes and lengthening her neck in a most unrabbitlike way. Complex and ethereal at the same time, Na's digitally manipulated spreads feature collage, stenciling, and finger painting over thickly daubed backgrounds; the pages teem with interest and texture. They're just right for dull winter bedtimes as families wait for warmer weather. Ages 1–5. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review, School Library Journal, February 2011:
"Done in ink and oils, overlaid and enhanced digitally with various shapes and layers, the art is vibrant and sports unusual colors with whimsical details. A lovely selection to share with younger children."

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—Rabbit's coat goes white in winter, and the author reflects on how other animals spend the cold months. Bears hibernate. Birds fly south. Sheep have their woolly coats to keep them warm. Turtles swim to warmer waters. Then bright colors appear once again, and all the animals know that it's spring. Rabbit's coat in the last panel has turned a reddish hue, and she wears a smile and has a newly bloomed flower by her ear. Done in ink and oils, overlaid and enhanced digitally with various shapes and layers, the art is vibrant and sports unusual colors with whimsical details. A lovely selection to share with younger children.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

Falling snow and bare branches herald winter to everyone, including a rabbit who watches geese flying south, bears hibernating, turtles paddling to warm waters, sheep huddling, squirrels stacking acorns, deer foraging, frogs submerging and mice tunneling. And when snow melts and trees bloom, everyone, including the rabbit, knows spring has returned. Beginning and ending with the same elements, the spare text suggests the cycle of seasons. Likewise, the simple, whimsical illustrations, consisting of digitally generated layers and painterly textures, open with a white winter rabbit and close with a brown spring rabbit wearing spring flowers tucked behind his ears. Thin black outlines, fanciful patterns and Chagall-like colors imaginatively suggest animals, plants and backgrounds while each double-page spread showcases animals engaging in winter preparations from dramatic angles. Geese fly, a deer elegantly leaps and burrowing mice scurry across double-page spreads, transforming each page turn into an adventure while the ubiquitous rabbit pops up in every scene. Quiet winter wonders. (Picture book. 1-5)

Kirkus Reviews