The Birthday Presents - Hardcover

Paul Stewart has written many novels and short stories for both children and adults. The Birthday Presents is his second picture book about Rabbit and Hedgehog. He lives in Brighton, England, with his wife, Julie, and his two children, Joseph and Anna.

PreSchool-Grade 2-This British team's sequel to A Little Bit of Winter (HarperCollins, 1999) features Rabbit (with bulging forehead and Keane-size eyes) and bristle-backed Hedgehog in a tale of birthday irony. The two friends discover that although neither knows the date of his own birthday, they share a desire for a celebration. They set the following day as one of joint commemoration, and each one busies himself with a quest for the perfect gift. That evening, Hedgehog imagines Rabbit sleeping in the dark silence and dampness of his burrow and decides on a bottle of moonlight as the ideal present for his buddy. Early the next day, Rabbit, snug in his underground bed, pictures his friend as sleep deprived in the open air and creates a box of coziness for him. Good manners prevail as the animals exchange packages and express delight at gifts that don't quite hit the mark. After each creature finds a more practical use for the item, he honestly tells the other that his present is the best ever. Muted golds, greens, and blues dapple the pen-and-watercolor illustrations. A modest story with an appealing message.
Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK
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