The Year of the Rabbit

January 3, 2011
Rosie Rabbit reveals she's more than the sum of her unusually long ears in this jaunty but meandering tale, second in this Chinese zodiac–centric series. When a mother and son catch Rosie in their garden, the boy, Jai, decides to keep her in a barn hutch, along with other zodiac animals. When Rosie's parents rescue her, Jai and his dog follow, but are hunted by a crouching tiger. Rosie's bravery (and an absurd turn of events involving a dragon) save the day. The thread of Rosie's misfit nature carries through only weakly, and despite plenty of action, the story's point is murky. Ages 4–8.

November 15, 2010

The sixth (of a projected 12) in a series of illustrated tales designed to demonstrate traits characterizing those born under each sign of the Chinese zodiac. Rosie, an amiable rabbit with oversize ears, is captured after raiding a garden, escapes and ends up befriending her young captor, Jai, after cleverly rescuing him from a tiger. In labored efforts to crank up reader interest, the author folds in Disney references, including a character named Uncle Remus and even a "zip-a-dee-doo-dah!" Roth depicts his brightly colored figures (all of whom, except for the humans, are zodiacal animals) in an unpleasant, flat-bodied, cartoon style that features exaggerated poses and wide-open eyes and mouths. (The illustrations even look loud.) A topic that can be adequately covered in one volume—such as, for instance, Catherine Louis' What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac (2009)—thins considerably when stretched out over a dozen, but there's a natural draw here for children born in the corresponding years (1999 and 2011 in this case). (afterword) (Picture book. 5-7)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011
According to an endnote, people born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be "amiable and gentle...nimble and resourceful." Such is Rosie the rabbit, who saves her friend from a tiger. Unfortunately, like the rabbit herself, this story line is too jumpy to follow. The cartoon illustrations are garishly exaggerated.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 15, 2010

The sixth (of a projected 12) in a series of illustrated tales designed to demonstrate traits characterizing those born under each sign of the Chinese zodiac. Rosie, an amiable rabbit with oversize ears, is captured after raiding a garden, escapes and ends up befriending her young captor, Jai, after cleverly rescuing him from a tiger. In labored efforts to crank up reader interest, the author folds in Disney references, including a character named Uncle Remus and even a "zip-a-dee-doo-dah!" Roth depicts his brightly colored figures (all of whom, except for the humans, are zodiacal animals) in an unpleasant, flat-bodied, cartoon style that features exaggerated poses and wide-open eyes and mouths. (The illustrations even look loud.) A topic that can be adequately covered in one volume--such as, for instance, Catherine Louis' What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac (2009)--thins considerably when stretched out over a dozen, but there's a natural draw here for children born in the corresponding years (1999 and 2011 in this case). (afterword) (Picture book. 5-7)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)