by Robet Lawson
Famous story that I had never read before, but it was sitting on my shelf. It's a children's classic about a community of wild animals that live on a hillside near a rundown farmhouse. They're all anxious when news arrives that New Folks are moving in- will they be friendly to wildlife? will they plant the garden? or bring the threat of traps and dogs? The star of the book is Little Georgie, a spunky young rabbit who lives with his worrying mother and long-winded father who takes a leadership role among the animals. Georgie is sent alone on a trip to get his uncle to come visit, with a few small adventures, and when they come back preparations for the New Folks' arrival are well under way. The animals are quite anxious about what kind of character their new people have, but after a few serious misunderstandings they come to understand that these Folks are true friends and champions of wildlife.
Rabbit Hill is a nice enough story, but it didn't really do much for me. I was unable to feel passionate about any of the characters, nor even admire them, really. They all felt rather one-dimensional. I was annoyed to find a few characters mentioned only once, at the very end of the story- why include them at all? The book gives a nice message about compassion for little creatures and sharing your garden bounty with wildlife, but it's one of those I probably would have appreciated more reading it as a kid for the first time.
I did love the illustrations. They have a wonderful texture and are full of character.
rating: 3/5 ........ 128 pages, 1944
more opinions:
Allison's Book Bag
Book4YourKids
East Line Books
A Book A Day
I remember reading this as a kid and liking it well enough. It doesn't stand out as a childhood favorite.
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