YOU WEREN'T WITH ME

Two recently reunited rabbits discuss their feelings about their separation in Ghosh Ippen’s picture book.

Little Rabbit sighs and tells Big Rabbit, “When you weren’t with me, I missed you so much.” Little Rabbit wanted to be held, and Big Rabbit wanted to hug the youngster. Big Rabbit apologizes for not being there and reassures Little Rabbit that they’re together now. They acknowledge that Little Rabbit likely felt confused, scared, hurt, sad, angry, and alone. Big Rabbit wants to know what Little Rabbit did during their separation and if “good people” helped, although readers may wonder if they meant “good rabbits.” Ghosh Ippen, the associate director of the Child Trauma Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco, and illustrator Erich Ippen Jr. previously collaborated on Once I Was Very Very Scared (2017). The images effectively use washes of color; Little Rabbit is surrounded by orange when mad, dark blue when worried, green when having a stomachache, and mauve when frightened. Using nongendered rabbits helps to make the story universal and child-friendly. The rabbits start out quite far apart on green grass, but their distance lessens until they’re “quite close” and blue sky appears. The typeface is pleasant to read but uses only uppercase N’s, which may be confusing to young readers.

A sensitive, reassuring, and well-illustrated work.