IF THERE NEVER WAS A YOU

A board book proclaims an adult rabbit’s unfailing love for their baby bunny.

Four rhyming stanzas, each spread over several pages, start by repeating the title phrase and then describe activities in a toddler’s idyllic life with a doting mama or grandma. There is no logical order to the scenes. Hanging laundry on a line is followed by tucking bunny into bed, telling jokes, and measuring baby bunny’s growth. Though the book’s padded cover and board pages make it suitable for toddlers, this bunny wins science fairs and joins soccer teams—activities more typical for school-age children. The busy, glossy illustrations are a mix of outdoor forest and domestic scenes decorated with mushrooms, mice, and whimsical furnishings. In most scenes the adoring adult bunny wears oversized spectacles, a polka-dot skirt, and a striped top with a lace collar. Baby bunny is distinguished by large eyes and green plaid overalls, with silly accessories to suit actions. On one page the adult bunny’s question “Who would do your greatest things, and / who would dream your dreams?” is paired with a picture of the two bunnies wearing astronaut helmets and riding a carrot rocket past planets. The black type used for the text is easy to find, set against paler spots in the crowded pictures. There’s no question it means well, but it hardly stands out on a very crowded shelf.

Reassuring platitudes nestled among fanciful pictures—almost too sweet to be believed.