Shy Willow

PreS-K--Willow, a white rabbit, lives in an abandoned mailbox where she draws sketches and feels safe from the world. When a letter drops in the mailbox with a special birthday request addressed to the moon from a boy named Theo, Willow knows she must deliver it in spite of her fears. Willow ventures out, testing her courage and making many failed attempts to reach the moon, jumping high, climbing a mountain, and even hitching a ride on a bird. Finally, she sacrifices pages from her sketchbook to fashion a balloon to float up to the moon and successfully deliver the letter. The moon rewards her by fulfilling the request to shine brilliantly for Theo's mother. Willow basks in her deed, and "the warmth of the moonlight spread through Willow's chest." Pencil illustrations provide detail, while soft washes of watercolor in twilight colors of pink, blue, and lavender create a soothing palette, though the outline of Willow in red strikes an odd note. Sketches from Willow's notebook adorn the endpapers and provide a window into Willow's fears and newfound friendship with Theo. VERDICT A shy rabbit shows bravery and ingenuity in a story that addresses shyness and determination. An additional purchase.--Ramarie Beaver, formerly at Plano P.L., TX

A timid bunny named Willow must venture outside her comfort zone in Min's quiet, whimsical debut. In an abandoned mailbox decorated with taped-on sketches and flora, shy Willow hides from the noisy and chaotic world outside, her long ears occasionally poking through the mail slot. When an envelope is slipped into her cozy home, Willow discovers it's a letter to the moon from a boy hoping to arrange a surprise for his mother's birthday. Moved by the boy's thoughtfulness, Willow determines to help deliver the message, even if the long journey means she'll need to travel far from the mailbox's security. To reach the moon, she tries jumping, climbing, and even catching a ride on a magnificent phoenixlike bird, until in an act of selflessness, Willow makes a final, improbable attempt that proves successful, slowly propelling the tale to a heartening, if predictable, conclusion. Employing watercolor and colored pencil, Min creates gentle scenes--the most striking of which are wordless--that radiate with hints of sunset pink, lending a luminous quality that befits this earnest tale of bravery begetting self-realization. Ages 4-7. Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary. (Feb.)