Chloe

Rabbit Chloe, the object of a classmate’s affection in Henry in Love, shines in her own book. "Chloe loved the end of the day, when her whole family was together. She called it family fun time." McCarty’s delicate, softly shaded illustrations reinforce Chloe’s feelings of contentment being the middle bunny of twenty-one. An especially sweet portrait puts her comfortably in the center -- literally -- with her parents and siblings circling dreamily around her. When a new television comes between her and her family, Chloe isn’t happy about it. Some bubble wrap ("Pop! Bop! Bip! Bip! Pap!"), a cardboard box, and determination help Chloe lure her siblings away from the set and into her imaginative play. In a cheeky twist, it’s her parents who are glued to the screen: "‘Can you please be quiet?’ Dad said. ‘We’re trying to listen to the show.’" Twenty-one bunnies playing in a TV box can’t be quiet, so an irritated Dad sends everyone up to bed. McCarty’s pastel-hued illustrations on cream-colored pages are mesmerizing; each of the twenty-three blocky rabbit characters has a distinctive look, and it’s easy to find Chloe in the crowd. The anti-TV message provides a strong signal (even a certain bunny father may have gotten the picture by the end), but it’s Chloe’s quiet confidence that comes through without any static. kitty flynn