Module 2: Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow

Summary

Mr. Rabbit and the lovely present is a story about a girl trying to find a birthday present for her mother. She runs into Mr. Rabbit and he tries to help her find a present her mother would like. The problem is the little girl is not sure what her mother would like for a present. Mr. Rabbit asks the girl a series of questions to try to find out.

Bibliographic Citation

Zolotow, C. (1962). Mr. Rabbit and the lovely present. New York: Harper Collins.

Impressions

This is a great book for children ages 4-8. Mr. Rabbit and the little girl try to narrow down what presents to give to her mother by thinking of different colors and what it would be she might like with those colors. As they think of each color, they try to find something with that color to give as a present. It introduces children to color in an interesting way.

Reviews

"An outstanding book [that] can be read by first-graders." -School Library Journal

"A rhythmical text, warm with wise simplicity and full color pictures so beautiful you'll want to frame them, make this the season's most distinguished picture book." --- Commonweal

Any collaborative effort by the esteemed Charlotte Zolotow and the illustrious Maurice Sendak is bound to be a success. These beloved creators of countless children's favorites outdo themselves with this 1963 Caldecott Honor-winning classic about a little girl in need of assistance. Finding a birthday present for her mother is no easy task for our heroine. Luckily, she happens upon the avuncular Mr. Rabbit, whose heart is in the right place, even if he doesn't always have the best ideas. Ultimately, his suggestions do come in handy, and between the two of them they determine the ideal birthday tribute: the gift of color. Children will join the protagonists in contemplating how to make the abstract tangible, and all readers will be delighted to see yellow translate to bananas, as green is given in pears, and blue takes the shape of grapes.
The soft, muted colors of Sendak's illustrations are reminiscent of a Monet landscape--utterly appealing and dreamy. And the reflective, sing-song dialogue between Mr. Rabbit and the girl is as deliciously lulling as a shady swing in a hammock. This quiet, peaceful book is a treasure for any shelf. (Ages 4 to 8) -Amazon.com Editiorial Review


Library Settings

This book could be used in a book talk program to teach children about colors and also about making a decision. It also could be a great storytime book for preschool aged children.