My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann portrays a fun relationship between two friends, Rabbit and Mouse. From this short tale, the reader can infer that Rabbit seems to always get himself and his friend Mouse into some tricky predicaments. However, they always seem to enjoy one another’s company and are true friends. Through very few words and beautifully illustrated pictures, the reader sees Rabbit fly Mouse’s plane into a tree and witnesses the execution of Rabbit’s plan to get the plane down. Rabbit’s plan is to stack a variety of animals until Mouse is high enough to reach the plane. The strategy is successful in getting Mouse back to his plane but leads to the two getting into another jam. As the story ends, the reader is left to imagine how Rabbit plans to get out the tree in which he and Mouse are now stuck.

This story is a very charming tale and seems to be a book that small children would genuinely enjoy. The illustrations are very appealing and the use of bright and vibrant colors throughout the book relates a sense of joy and fun. I read the book to my sister, who is five, and she absolutely loved the book. Much of the story is not told through words but through the characters’ expressions and visual actions. The stacking of the animals is a very humorous process that kids are sure to love. One particular page that I found very amusing was the drawing in which Rabbit is carrying a goose and the tiny goslings and Mouse are following right behind in a single file line. The animals tumbling to the ground is another story component that seems to be amusing to children.

My Friend Rabbit is a fun book to read and would be a great addition to a primary library. I am sure that the book would be checked out quite often and would be a tale that young children would love to repeatedly hear and read.

Rohmann, E. (2002). My friend Rabbit. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Book Press.

Caldecott Award Winner