From Publishers Weekly
When Philip and his sister, Kooch, get a puppy named Frank, crotchety Old Man Hoover next door issues a warning: "If that dog comes anywhere near my prize rabbit, I'll load my rifle and shoot him dead." The aged rabbit, Peter, is virtually all that the Hoovers have left of their 50-year-old farm, now the site of a newly developed neighborhood. The late Conrad (The Tub People) propels the plot with penetrating language ("a smile crept across [Hoover's] face and looked as awkward there as fine china on a barbecue table") as she expertly builds the momentum toward the inevitable conflict. One day, when Frank insists on going out in a heavy rainstorm, the children let him out on his own, and he returns with Peter dead in his mouth. Terrified of Old Man Hoover's rifle, Philip comes up with a plan to surreptitiously return the rabbit to its hutch. Later they learn that Peter was already dead and buried when Frank found him, and that their unintentional resurrection has completely mystified the Hoovers. Debut illustrator English's dense paintings?10 in all?mostly envelop Philip and Kooch in a soft, nostalgic haze; the only sharply focused painting (also used on the jacket) is composed in such a way as to emphasize the vulnerability of the old rabbit. Suspenseful and thought-provoking, this carefully crafted animal story shows people not exactly at their best, but at their most human. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-Old Man Hoover, bitter because his potato farm has been turned into a housing development, dotes on his prize rabbit. He threatens to shoot Philip and Kooch's dog, Frank, if the dog ever touches the rabbit. One rainy night Frank returns home with the dead rabbit clenched in his jaws. In a panic, the children scheme to cover up the crime and return the rabbit to its cage. Days later they learn from their neighbor's wife that the rabbit died a natural death; their dog had merely unearthed it after it was buried. After the mysterious return of the animal, Old Man Hoover now thinks the rabbit won't stay dead and leaves its cage open expecting it to come back again. This news causes the children to dissolve into laughter. It is unclear whether they are laughing from relief or at their neighbor's behavior, which makes for a somewhat unsettling ending. The story has moderate tension and excitement although much of the text gives the impression of being told instead of lived, which flattens the effect. The illustrations, one every three or four pages, are dark, smooth, and impressionistic and lend a sense of atmosphere not found in the text. Additional at best.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
