ME AND YOU

There are many things this bunny is proud to be able to do—sit still, jump, somersault, ride a bike, make sand castles and dig holes, for a start. Rossell’s cheerful and appealing pictures play an important role here and complement the text flawlessly, showing the bunny performing said activities with a perky and diminutive mouse friend who joins in whenever possible. Of course, there are some things a bunny can do that a mouse can’t, and observant youngsters will notice that in such cases the mouse finds a creative way to participate or else moves to the sidelines to watch respectfully. This is not mentioned in the text, which leads to the warm, eminently satisfying conclusion; in the words of the bunny, “…the thing I like best about being me… / is that I can be… / with you.” A perfectly lighthearted gesture of a tale that illustrates—with charm and subtlety—a child’s pride in his or her accomplishments, mutual appreciation of different abilities and the power of friendship and acceptance. (Picture book. 2-5)