WHY DO YOU CRY?

Little Rabbit is five and that’s too old to cry. So he decides not to invite anyone who still cries to his birthday party. As he issues and withdraws his invitations, he discovers that all of his friends cry about something. Even his mother cannot meet his criteria because she cries also, even when she’s happy. She explains that tears are perfectly acceptable in a great many situations—or for no reason at all. So he goes ahead with his birthday party and only his mother cries. Children will often go to great lengths to avoid being seen as “babies.” Author Klise presents young readers with a gentle lesson about growing up. Illustrator Klise fills her bright acrylic illustrations with delightful detail. Little Rabbit and his friends are lean and wiry—and appealing. However, both the script font used for the cover title and the subtitle pun are unnecessary complications for the intended audience. (Picture book. 3-6)