RIBBIT RABBIT

Ryan’s story features the disarming characters Frog and Bunny, two close friends. They go swimming and fight monsters together. “They even eat peanut-butter sandwiches together. / Ribbit rabbit. Wibbit wabbit.” But such close proximity can breed a case of the grumps. They squabble over a toy robot, which goes “beep boop, boop beep.” They stop talking to one another, but “they know what they have to do.” Make up, that’s what. These two are self-starters who can figure out their acrimony for themselves, which is a relief from being told what to do or stumbling upon the right thing by accident. The rhythmic, onomatopoeic text is a pretty music, the kind of song you’d sing in the dark to lift your spirits. Equally joyful and engaging—and that’s a tall order—is Lowery’s artwork. It has a childlike, elemental tone, with neat planes of color, but it is wonderfully, touchingly emotive. Best of all, Frog and Bunny have the radiant good cheer of a sock monkey, a mingling of the ridiculous with the sublime for a spellbinding effect. (Picture book. 4-8)