Bunny's Book Club (Bunny's Book Club)

Bunny, a rabbit, has been eavesdropping on the local library's outdoor story time and fallen in love with how books can spark an array of adventures: "As he listened, Bunny imagined himself climbing mountains... captaining a ship... ruling a kingdom." But now that it's sweater weather, and story time has moved indoors, what will Bunny do? The answer isn't exactly legal (book return slots are intended for books, after all) and it gets a little out of hand (pretty soon Bunny's friends all want in on his after-hours library excursions). But the librarian turns out to be forgiving where these trans-species bibliophiles are concerned, and since "All libraries have rules," Bunny and his accomplices end up with their own library cards. Debut author Silvestro can sometimes be too literal and earnest ("He followed his nose to the adventure section"), but she makes the pleasures of reading abundantly clear. Mai-Wyss (The Passover Lamb) smartly divides the storytelling into small, telling moments, amplifying each vignette with a fine eye for detail and warmhearted humor. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Liza Voges, Eden Street Literary. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 1--For book lovers, there is nothing better than a day snuggled deep in a comfortable chair reading a new book from the library. In this cozy tale, several woodland animal friends discover the pleasures of just such a day thanks to a bunny with a passion for books. Bunny falls in love with books during the warm days of summer when storytime is held on the library steps. Soon, Bunny is transported to faraway places and is experiencing the world--as captain of a pirate ship and ruler of a kingdom--as never before. When storytime moves inside, Bunny is bereft. To satisfy his hunger for books, Bunny returns to the library at night and learns that although the library is locked, the book return slot is open. Before long, Bunny spends all his time reading, and his friends are mystified by his absence. When Bunny divulges his secret, eight of the woodland friends sneak into the library together and are caught by the librarian. Rather than being busted, they are given library cards. So begins Bunny's Book Club. Silvestro's debut picture book is a love letter to the pleasures of reading and libraries, and Mai-Wyss's colorful illustrations are endearing and comforting--who wouldn't want to be friends with this group of open-minded and curious pals? There are cute details throughout, including a re-creation of an old library pocket on the inside cover of the book. VERDICT A pleasant addition for large picture book collections.--Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA