Rabbit's Wooly Sweater

by Mark Birchall

Really cute book I found at the library with my kids the other day. Little Rabbit's aunt knits her a wooly striped sweater, but she doesn't want to wear it. She wants her toy doll Mr. Cuddles (who does everything with her) to have one too, and besides it's too big. Her mom insists the sweater is lovely, and makes her wear it to play outside. Rabbit takes her sweater off at the park and leaves it behind, but someone finds it and brings it home for her- all dirty from laying on the ground and getting kicked around in a soccer game. Into the washing machine it goes- and it shrinks! Much to small now. What will Rabbit do?

The pictures are lively and charming- they look very freehand. And the story presents a predicament lots of kids will be familiar with- disliking a well-intended gift, wanting something different... with a nice ending here. I liked it enough I'm looking to find other books by this author to read to my three-year-old too.

Rating: 3/5      24 pages, 2000