Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Bayport Public Library | EASY HES | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
For solitary neighbors Bunny and Dog, reticence overcomes curiosity -- until something extraordinary happens to nudge them into friendship.
Bunny and Dog live on opposite sides of the fence. Every morning, first thing, Bunny looks through the fence and the tall grass at Dog. And every morning, first thing, Dog looks through the fence and the tall grass at Bunny. Yet neither one says hello. Or hi. Or nice to see you today. But then, one night, Bunny and Dog both see a shooting star zip through the sky. Could this shared moment be the start of a friendship? From storyteller Amy Hest and artist Jenni Desmond comes a lyrical, touching, and timely picture book about finding the courage to say "I could be your friend."
Author Notes
Children's book author Amy Hest was born in New York City and grew up on Long Island. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a children's librarian in the New York Public Library system and in the children's book publishing industry. She has written over thirty children's books, many of which included family and intergenerational themes. She is a three-time winner of the Christopher Medal and a winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A simple, soft, and endearing story of friendship about neighbors who live on opposites sides of a white picket fence. Bunny drinks lots of cocoa, plants carrots, and peeks at Dog, while Dog eats biscuits, plays with his ball, and wonders about Bunny. Seasons come and seasons go, but the neighbors never say hello to each other. Until, on one sleepless night, both Bunny and Dog simultaneously witness a shooting star, and a new friendship ignites. Hest's narrative line is concise and clear and possesses a magical quality matched by Desmond's airy, muted watercolor and mixed-media illustrations. The characters are dynamic, and full-page images and small vignettes alike are playfully imagined with charming details that readers will enjoy viewing again and again. VERDICT Enchantingly fresh, this lighthearted tale of friendship deserves a place in every picture book collection. Pair with Beth Ferry's Stick and Stone or Cynthia Rylant's "Mr. Putter and Tabby" series for stories that inspire kindness and neighborliness and that value the warm comfort of finding a friend.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This lovely story of two loners who finally connect will reassure children who are anxious about making friends. Bunny and Dog live next to each other but keep to themselves until a shared sighting of a shooting star brings them together. The soothing color palette and quiet text make this an appealing offering. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Bunny and Dog live solitary, parallel lives in adjacent homes until their shared glimpse of a shooting star engenders a new and steadfast friendship. Each tidy lakeside home, separated by a fence, is appointed with dcor that reflects its inhabitant. Bunny's houseblue, like hercontains such lapine accoutrements as rabbit-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers and a framed portrait of three carrots. Bunny ears pop up often: on the loft bed's headboard, the lamp, and the cocoa cups. Sharp-eyed kids might notice the reading chair's fluffy white "tail." Dog's abode is similarly cozy in his signature red, with a portable radio, a rug woven with a border of dogs, and a goodly supply of biscuits. As the animals engage in solo pursuits, from knitting (Dog) and drawing (Bunny) to cultivating twin gardens, they steal furtive glances at each other. Sleepless and outdoors on a moonlit night, each deduces that the other needs a friend. Their mutual, ephemeral experiencewitnessing the shooting starfuels their new relationship, as they share meals and pastimes together. Hest's gentle subtext seems to say, "Life is short. Engage; connect." Desmond's mixed-media illustrations juxtapose simply rendered animals, charming household details, and lovely full-bleed expanses of starry sky and moonlit lake. A gentle, empathetic tribute to the value of reaching out to welcome a new friend. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Though Bunny and Dog have never met, they are neighbors, with a picket fence between Dog's neatly trimmed lawn and Bunny's overgrown yard. They never even say hello, but each peeks at the other's activities throughout the day. Dog knits, eats biscuits, and plays with his ball, while Bunny colors pictures, drinks cocoa, and plants carrots. Late one night, each goes outdoors to look at the sky and decides that the other needs a friend. A shooting star and a shared smile make a connection between them that turns into much more: a shared snack of cocoa and biscuits, followed by an exceptional friendship. Hest's spare, quiet text, with just enough well-chosen details to set the scenes and differentiate clearly between Dog and Bunny, leaves plenty of room for the illustrator's imagination. With an air of innocence and spontaneity, Desmond's mixed-media illustrations offer two lovably bashful characters, nicely varied compositions, and night scenes in which familiar things look so different that real change (even friendship) seems magically possible. While many stories about making friends begin with lonely characters yearning for companionship, this picture book introduces two who are content to be alone but find that friendship brings them great happiness. A wonderful read-aloud choice.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2017 Booklist
