Rabbit and the Motorbike

by Kate Hoefler (Author) Sarah Jacoby (Illustrator)

Rabbit and the Motorbike
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
★ "Exhilarating . . . Graceful text and evocative illustrations combine in this story about the rewards of facing fears and trying something new." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review A timeless fable of the journey from grief to acceptance that will touch every reader: Rabbit isn't sure he'll ever be brave enough to go on an adventure. He's a homebody who lives in a quiet field of wheat he dreams of leaving every night. His world is enlarged by his friend Dog and Dog's tales of motorbike adventures. But one day, Dog is gone, and with him, go the stories Rabbit loves so much. Dare Rabbit pick up the motorbike and live his own story? - A touching tale for those confronting loss and those who are eager to explore and experience the world around them- Rabbit's bravery in the face of sadness will console, nurture, and inspire young readers- Author Sarah Jacoby grew up wandering the woods outside of Philadelphia. She now draws for many people and places, including the New York Times, and she is the author and illustrator of Forever or a Day- Illustrator Kate Hoefler received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan, where she studied as a Colby Fellow. She is the author of Real Cowboys and Great Big Things Fans of Hungry Jim and Most of the Better Natural Thing in the World will enjoy the touching and meaningful storyline in Rabbit and the Motorbike. - Great read-aloud book for families/children experiencing loss or heartbreak- Books for kids ages 3-5- Children's books for kindergarten-third grade
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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Timid Rabbit sticks close to home, where his friend Dog regales him daily with tales of his motorbike adventures as a young dog, including "the places he'd felt most alive, where he'd howled at the moon." In textural watercolor and mixed-media spreads, Jacoby (Forever or a Day) renders Dog as a dashing terrier in a black leather jacket; Rabbit, wearing blue overalls, exudes emotion. In a depiction of a vicarious, imagined ride, the two zoom across a spread, leaving a ribbon of color behind them. Then one day, Dog doesn't appear, and grieving Rabbit finds himself the owner of a motorbike. Hoefler (Great Big Things) describes Rabbit's trepidation and conflicted feelings with lilting prose: "He hoped the bike would like not going anywhere." But at his own, inch-by-inch rate, he conquers his fear. When he does set out at last, Jacoby's spreads of the towering trees and expansive beaches he discovers deliver excitement and triumph. Alongside its elements of risk and loud noise, the story's treatment of death and anxiety makes it a quiet, inward-turned tale. Ages 5-8. Agent: Steve Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A tender, breathtaking picture book that you'll read again and again."—A Best Children's Books of the Year, The Christian Science Monitor
Kate Hoefler

Kate Hoefler is the author of Real Cowboys, Great Big Things, and Rabbit and the Motorbike. She loves feeling connected to people (and to dogs), and also loves how being notice-ers in books helps us to be notice-ers in the world. She makes her home in Ohio with her two children and with a small dog not unlike the dog in this book. She is forever grateful for being able to walk this story home with Corinna.

Corinna Luyken is the award-winning author-illustrator of The Book of Mistakes and the New York Times best-selling My Heart. She also illustrated Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have A Horse, written by Marcy Campbell. She lives in Olympia, Washington, with her husband, daughter, and two cats. You can see more of her work at www.corinnaluyken.com

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781452170909
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
September 20, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002210 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Rabbits
JUV039030 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Death & Dying
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV041000 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | General
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Rabbits
Dogs
Picture books
Motorcycles

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