Hop

Children who haveseen bunnies frolic in their backyards, scamper across the lawn of a park, orroam in fields in their imaginations will find Hurley's latest charming andinformative in equal measure. Using the formula she established in Nest (2014),Hurley explores the worlds of rabbits—cottontails in particular. In this narrative,the one-word lines read as if they are instructions given by a mother to herkits. Each spread depicts a different scenario, each with its own tone and, ina couple of cases, tension. Matte colors applied digitally saturate the pages,most often in lush greens. As the members of a rabbit family emerge from theirnest under a tree, they "hop," "listen," and"nibble." In a stark white double-page spread, a hawk appears highabove the family on the ground, making the rabbits "freeze." Dangerappears again in the form of a fox. The word on this spread, "warn,"will force youngsters to look closely to see the mother rabbit thumping herfoot. If it's too subtle, an author's note provides more information about thisform of communication along with other details about habits and habitat. Therabbits "run," and the book ends on a satisfying note with a"snuggle" before "sleep." Minimal text yields maximumeffect in this book of nonfiction for the very youngest children