From Publishers Weekly
A voracious fox pursues a half dozen bunnies throughout sunlit, rolling farmland, as the ominous titular cry fills the air. "Run, fat rabbits! Run, run, run! That fox wants to eat you, one by one! Dinnertime!" writes Williams (I Went Walking) in what becomes the book's refrain. Argent's (Wombat Divine) fox, a full-fledged menace, boasts spectacular leaping abilities and a fang-endowed mouth. One by one, the rabbits' number dwindles. Not to worry: attentive readers will notice that the rabbits are escaping down a hole and, at book's end, it's revealed that "Dinnertime!" (set in slightly larger type, off to the side) is actually the call of their exasperated but doting mother. The artwork explodes with anxious excitement and ever-varying mise-en-scene. In one spread, the fox bursts through bales of hay as the rabbits scatter in the foreground, and sheep, mice and scarecrow observe like a hand-wringing Greek chorus; in the scene that follows, Argent moves the pursuit to the background, while the animals' worried reaction takes center stage. She wisely tempers the high-stakes action with soupeons of anthropomorphized humor: one bunny uses the scarecrow's kerchief as a superhero cape, and a pair of sheep stand on their hind legs and clutch each other in fear as they urge the rabbits to run. A high-energy romp. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
reSchool-Grade 1-In this appealing concept book, six rabbits are playing when along comes fox. They run, someone calls "Dinnertime!" and one little creature disappears down a hole. Now there are five rabbits playing. The repetitive refrain, "Run, fat rabbits! Run, run, run! That fox wants to eat you, one by one!" continues until the final rabbit disappears safely down the hole, only to be reprimanded by their mother for not coming "straightaway!" Argent's appealing watercolor illustrations have little details that will keep children paging back to see what the mice are doing on each spread, and which rabbit has gotten away. The fox is somewhat scary, but the rounded lines of his body, the frustrated look on his face, the easy escape of each creature, and the ending, where readers discover it was mama rabbit yelling "Dinnertime!" make this slightly creepy fun instead of really frightening. The rhyming text flows well and small children will delight in the repetitive refrain and the successful escape of the little animals from the big, powerful fox. With its large, colorful pictures and fascinating details, this offering will work equally well one-on-one or with larger groups, and is sure to be a hit for storytimes.
Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
*Starred Review* Ages 3-5. Six fat rabbits lead children down a merry path of fun--but there are a few deliciously scary moments as well. A hungry fox is on the lookout for dinner, but the cavorting bunnies don't see him. Nor do they spot him when he hides in the hay or springs up from a furrow. Other animals see him, though, and they call out each time: "Run, fat rabbits! Run, run, run! / That fox wants to get you one by one!" And sure enough, one by one the rabbits disappear--until, on the last spread, the fox chases bunny number six down a rabbit hole. Children worrying about what happened to the other rabbits will be delighted to see them all safe and sound, ready to eat their dinner. There's so much wonderful stuff going on here that children can look at this book again and again and still find something new. Each oversize two-page spread features sun-dappled watercolors starring animals that are almost stuffed-animal cute. Yet, the fox's stealth and slickness is quite real and menacing. Children will need to watch closely to spot the bunnies making their way underground. The book can also be used as a counting lesson, to name animals, and as a guessing game. Who keeps calling, "Dinnertime"? It seems to be the fox, but could it be Mother? Ilene Cooper
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About the Author
SUE WILLIAMS is the author of several acclaimed picture books. She lives in Adelaide, South Australia, where she is also an editor and publisher of children's books.
KERRY ARGENT has illustrated many celebrated picture books. She lives in Queensland, Australia.
SUE WILLIAMS is the author of several acclaimed picture books. She lives in Adelaide, South Australia, where she is also an editor and publisher of children's books.
KERRY ARGENT has illustrated many celebrated picture books. She lives in Queensland, Australia.
