The Very Big Carrot

PreS-Gr 2—A fine blend of simple narrative and distinctive illustrations presents tiny, pear-shaped rabbits, trowel and pail in hand, who discover "a very big carrot!" The next spread shows them hoisting their find horizontally over their heads: "They dug up the very big carrot and tried to think of the very best way to use it." The bunnies are then depicted holding hands and standing in a line on the top of the vertical root: "What could they do with the very big carrot? Maybe they could make it into a boat…." Upside down, it floats on a big, blue sea with the rabbits riding on the leafy greens and the orange portion serving as a sail. Then they stand atop the carrot, now horizontal, and twirl their ears like propellers: "Maybe they could make it into an airplane." And off they fly. After the rabbits turn it into "the most beautiful garden ever!" and then into a castle, they think of one more thing: "They could EAT the very big carrot!" The small size and detailed illustrations of this oblong picture book make it suited for lapsits or small-group sharing. It will spark conversations about rabbits, gardening, construction, the limits of gravity and motion, and the boundless power of the imagination. A wonderful addition.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI