Friday, 12 October 2018

ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 12th October 2018: "Mini Rabbit: Not Lost" by John Bond (HarperCollins Children's Books)

Our first Book of the Week this week is a stunning debut by a new author illustrator who weaves the most amazing storyscapes...
"Mini Rabbit: Not Lost" by John Bond is a truly superb story that pulls of the magical trick of having colossal kid appeal, but also plenty in there for us adults who love to read to our younglings.

Mini Rabbit is helping mummy bake a cake - but a cake without berries? That's not a cake at all!

With no berries, there'll be no cake - so Mini Rabbit embarks on an adventure to track down those missing juicy fruits (and you'll love the way the story kicks off as will sharp-eyed kids!)

It's no easy task for a tiny diminutive bunny to trek across the landscape in search of missing fruits, but one thing drives Mini Rabbit on - the thought of how tasty, how satisfying and how delicious that cake will truly be.

John's storytelling is sparse but gorgeously satisfying making this a real pleasure to read aloud. As for his art, he's drawn in tons and tons of the very best inspirations - his work often feeling like a glorious fusion between Benji Davies' amazing use of light and shade, and Jon Klassen's subtle but clever character art. But John's own style shines through, truly beautiful backdrops and a simple central character just oozing with tons of appeal and expression.

A note to parents - if that last page (and we won't spoil it for you) doesn't chime with you, we'd be very surprised indeed. We really look forward to seeing what John comes up with next - for now though, the children's book world is his oyster. One of the most important talents emerging this year for sure.

C's best bit: Spotting all the hidden berries throughout each scene.

Daddy's favourite bit: That last page - yep, definitely identify with that!!

"Mini Rabbit: Not Lost" by John Bond is out now, published by HarperCollins Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).