The Island Light (Voyage to the Bunny Planet) [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Felix has an awful day until he is whisked off to the Bunny Planet to experience the day that should have been.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- An unusual and charming set of books. In each, the protagonist is having a terrible day. First Tomato is about Claire, whose shoes fill up with snow on the way to school; in The Island Light , Felix throws up in art class; and Robert, in The Moss Pillow , visits some awful relatives who serve cold liver chili for dinner. Halfway through each book, Janet, the queen of the Bunny Planet, summons the rabbit child, saying, `` `Here's the day that should have been.' '' Claire's voyage to the Bunny Planet takes the form of a visit to the garden to pick the first tomato. Felix's ideal day is spent on an island, in a lighthouse with his father; Robert's is in a quiet forest. In each case, the Bunny Planet is a soothing, secure world where peace and individuality reign. Each book ends with a return to an improved reality, with the hero or heroine spotting the Bunny Planet from the real world. The illustrations are beautifully executed and perfectly scaled. Wells makes great use of contrast in mood and light, which is perfectly suited to the theme. The writing is somewhat less successful. The stories are told in rhyme, which tends towards the sing-song, and some of the musings on ``the day that should have been'' may appeal more to adults than to children. Still, they make a plea for catharsis via fantasy and daydeaming, something that cannot be overemphasized to today's overprogrammed children and parents. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803711786
• ISBN-13: 978-0803711785
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 4.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,497,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book for a father to read to his children., August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Island Light (Voyage to the Bunny Planet) (Hardcover)

This book, which my 14 year old son still enjoys as much as he did at age two, reaches deep deep down into the place inside all of us where we most want to be with our parents: safe, warm, cozy, together. It never fails to choke me up; it never fails to comfort my children. The other books in the 3 book series evoke the same feelings, too.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book in an excellent series, June 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Island Light (Voyage to the Bunny Planet) (Hardcover)

All three books in the Bunny Planet series are classics. We discovered them when my son just turned two and a year later he still requests them often, even though he has them memorized.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one, December 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Island Light (Voyage to the Bunny Planet) (Hardcover)

The Island Light is a fabulous book for children and their adults. The story is simple and very moving. The characters are appealing, real and fully revealed. The illustrations are out of this world. Have a hanky ready. Be prepared to be uplifted.