Rabbit Ears [Hardcover]

Amber Stewart (Author), Laura Rankin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Hopscotch knows what he likes and what he doesn't like--and he doesn't like getting his ears washed. In fact, he'll do just about anything to avoid it. But when Hopscotch's big cousin Bobtail comes to spend the night and doesn't even flinch when it comes to the dreaded ear-washing hour, Hopscotch makes a startling discovery: big rabbits wash their own ears!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1-Hopscotch hates to have his ears cleaned. To avoid it, the little rabbit covers his head with a saucepan, upside-down pants, and oven mitts-and, on one occasion, just runs away. Some parents may squirm at the way his mom begs and even bribes her child; they may also blink at how easily the youngster comes around as he follows his older cousin's example and eventually performs the task himself. Although the text is sometimes wordy, it lends itself well to reading aloud, with plenty of potential (including silly song lyrics) for hamming it up. Rankin's acrylic inks and paints have a watercolor gentleness combined with concentrated tints. The characters are funny, adorable, and expressive. Children can look at the pictures over and over and keep finding more enchanting details. A good book for sharing, with a childlike protagonist and a satisfying ending.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. Many little children will see themselves in this bunny who doesn't like to wash his ears. And why should he? The soap makes him sneeze, and his ears drip. To his mother's dismay, Hopscotch comes up with creative ways to cover his ears while in the tub--among them, boxer shorts on his head. Then Hopscotch's big-boy cousin, Bobtail, visits, and a clear case of hero worship is born. When Hopscotch sees Bobtail happily washing his ears, he gets the idea: this is what big bunnies do. Now ear washing doesn't seem to be such an odious task. Everything works well here. The light, bright, oversize watercolors are just right for group viewing, and they features a perfectly darling young bunny with cuddly stuffed-animal appeal. The text is short, good for the age group, but the message comes through clearly. Clever parents will see that the solution offered here will work for problems other than dirty ears. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582349592
• ISBN-13: 978-1582349596
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,534,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SOGGY EARS AND SLIPPERY SOAP, April 2, 2006

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rabbit Ears (Hardcover)

Young rabbits are irresistible, even those with less than salutary characteristics such as Hopscotch. He's appealing, however (and that's a large however) he is also very particular. For a young fellow he has definite likes and dislikes.

In his preference category we find his toy, Rabbity, building block towers and chocolate cake. On his don't-care-for-at-all list are bedtime, cold wet paws.....and at the very top of his dislikes is having his ears washed.

After all, soap made him sneeze and when his ears were wet they dripped. So, this was something to be avoided at all costs. When his mother finally coaxed him into the tub he hold onto his ears "very, very tightly." No amount of trickery or bribery would make him let go of those ears.

One day Hopscotch's older cousin, Bobtail, came for a visit. After a day of play and a hearty dinner, it was bath time. Hopscotch was amazed to see Bobtail washing his own ears.

Sometimes all it takes is a good example for a finicky young rabbit to change his mind.

"Rabbit Ears" holds a lesson for all youngsters who don't relish bath time. Laura Rankin's amusing acrylic ink and paint illustrations add humor to this story of a small rabbit who wants to grow up.

- Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe Big Rabbits Wash Their Own Ears, December 3, 2006

By 

George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rabbit Ears (Hardcover)

In "Rabbit Ears," the main character, Hopscotch, doesn't want to take a bath. It's not the bath itself so much that he's not keen on. He likes baths overall, really. It's just that he knows what he likes and does not like --- and taking a bath means having to wash his ears. Hopscotch does *not* like washing his ears. Will tricks work? Will treats work? Maybe Hopscotch just needs a good example.

"Rabbit Ears" is a story of learning and repsonsibility. And Hopscotch learns that learning to do grown-up things comes with privileges too. Not that he's ready to leave everything behind --- he still needs his stuffed toy rabbit --- Rabbity.

The illustrations in this book are unusual but pleasing. A good, maybe slightly off-beat choice for when it comes to woes at bathtime.

5.0 out of 5 stars Busy rabbits all wash their ears - except for Hopscotch, who likes his ears dry, May 9, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rabbit Ears (Hardcover)

Busy rabbits all wash their ears - except for Hopscotch, who likes his ears dry. He'll do anything to avoid a bath; from pretending to be a clean cat with tiny ears to hiding them under his stuffed animal Rabbit. It takes an older cousin's visit to reveal a startling truth to Hopscotch, providing him with another alternative to never having his ears washed. Laura Rankin's engaging drawings make this a top pick.