Rabbit's Gift by George Shannon

Illustrated by Laura Dronzek

It’s the middle of winter, and Rabbit ventures outside to find some food before it snows again. He is lucky enough to find two turnips and rolls them home, but decides that one is plenty for himself. Rabbit decides to give one turnip to his friend Donkey, whom he worries hasn’t enough to eat, but when Donkey isn’t home Rabbit leaves the turnip by the door and scurries away. Donkey returns to find the gift, and decides she has enough of her own food so she passes the turnip to Goat, who passes it to Deer, who decides to give it to Rabbit. In the end, all share the extra meal. The bright, heavy acrylic paints used in the illustrations give Rabbit and his friends a warm and bold look, and Dronzek does a good job giving them facial expressions while not over-anthropomorphizing them. Pages of text are bordered by a turnip-patterned banner with the Chinese symbols for the different animals, which are explained in the author’s note. Shannon also shares the folktale roots of this story found in many cultures including Chinese, Japanese, French and Spanish. I always enjoy animal stories, and the warmth and simplicity of this one made me truly smile.

"The uncluttered illustrations, many framed in purple to compliment the purple of the turnip, perfectly capture the action of the story. The expressive faces of the animals are charming, and the thickly applied colors add a richness to the pictures that make them seem cozy despite the wintry backdrop.” - Booklist

"This folktale, with versions found in many cultures, is well told and richly illustrated. The appealing acrylic art supports the simple text and enhance the story. This title also includes an author's note and Chinese calligraphy glossary. A terrific seasonal storyhour selection.” - School Library Journal