LITTLE RABBIT AND THE MEANEST MOTHER ON EARTH

When the circus comes to town, a young rabbit will do anything to attend, up to and including turning his mother into the main attraction. Outraged by his mother’s demands that he clean his playroom before he goes to the show, Little Rabbit concocts a plan to run away and join circus life. The ringmaster (a Dalmatian) says he can join if he can sell 100 tickets to his act. In true carny fashion, he weaves elaborate tales of “The Meanest Mother on Earth” to woo paying customers. Although trickery lands his mother in center ring, she slyly turns Little Rabbit’s plans topsy-turvy. Soon the crowd is viewing the “Messiest Room on Earth”—much to Little Rabbit’s chagrin. Klise’s dialogue delights in the flamboyant language of carnivals while her sister’s color-saturated acrylic paintings deftly reflect the story’s over-the-top tone. This gem of a tale offers respite, in the form of comic relief, from the age-old skirmish between parents and children over cleaning up. (Picture book. 3-7)