READ TO ME: Desperate rabbit manipulates Mom

Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked by Vern Kousky (Schwartz & Wade Books, Jan. 21), ages 3-7, 24 pages, $17.99 hardback, $10.99 ebook (Arkansas Demorat-Gazette/Celia Storey)
Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to Be Naked by Vern Kousky (Schwartz & Wade Books, Jan. 21), ages 3-7, 24 pages, $17.99 hardback, $10.99 ebook (Arkansas Demorat-Gazette/Celia Storey)

TITLE: Lawrence: The Bunny Who Wanted to be Naked

BY: Vern Kousky (Schwartz & Wade Books, Jan. 21), ages 3-7, 24 pages, $17.99 hardback, $10.99 ebook

STORY: Lawrence's mommy shows affection by dressing him in garments of her own design. She favors bold patterns, fanciful lines and unhelpful hats — multi-pointed jester's caps, ear stockings, helium-inflated balloon pants.

These outfits smother him. Meanwhile, he is a rabbit. He wants to hop naked through the fields, as rabbits do.

When he protests that his friends don't dress up, she says he is not like them: "You are my one and only sweet little love-bunny." She can't see his viewpoint.

Lawrence decides to show her. Inspired by Alexander McQueen and books about corsets and plaids, he learns to sew bizarre outfits, with matching Mini-me suits for him. He pleads that she's his special mommy until she wears them, everywhere, miserably. (Another tack — but a very different story — would have been to remind Mom that camouflage saves the lives of prey animals.) Surprisingly, she gets his message.

This is a cute story about creative indirection, a sophisticated alternative to pitching a fit. Also, this story endorses hopping around naked. So much to talk over with your clever child.

Read to Me is a weekly review of short books.

Style on 02/17/2020

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