When Rabbit Was a Lion is a story about a child, Rabbit, who is not a fan of parties, noise and too much excitement. But he likes his friends, and wants to celebrate with them. Creating a costume party, Rabbit is all ready to party after rushing about making it, but after a while things are too much, and he needs to hide. When he is found, his friends decide that they will now help him by toning down the wild rumpus.
Eugenie Fernandes’s story is sweet from the first page to the last. There are a lot of sweet images as well. While we explore learning how to accept ourselves and our friends, to be aware of how we are around each other, you can enjoy those bright, colorful, soft illustrations that help the story move along, by almost being its own character. They are busy, but not overly so, and fit the theme well.
As the story is told by a young girl, you can take the story on the surface: a girl and her animal friends are having a party. Or you can take it on a deeper level to be a girl and her toys are acting out how she needs to deal with a situation or how she is dealing with a friend’s need in a similar situation. It has a classic feeling, so it allows for the attitude needed to deal with a person/child who has sensory issues, or is overwhelmed, but still has a modern tone. Good for most ages that like picture books.
Due mid-August 2023, read via online reader copy.
