HI, JACK!

A bunny behaves badly. But is he all bad?

In the first of three chapters, an unnamed narrator immediately breaks the fourth wall and introduces a bunny named Jack (presumably a jackrabbit, given his name). Ever the friendly, pizza-loving mammal, Jack waves a cheerful hello to readers. But the mood shifts when the Lady comes along. Jack descends from his treehouse to snatch the elderly human woman’s purse. “Bad Jack!” scolds the narrator. “Jack, give that back!” Jack does—but not before using the Lady’s lipstick on himself! Subsequent chapters detail Jack’s further misbehaviors involving a farm dog named Rex and another encounter with the Lady in her home. The interplay between Barnett’s verbal and Pizzoli’s visual humor results in rollicking surprises at almost every page turn. Repetition and a total word count of fewer than 90 words (at most 17 per page) provide ample support (and entertainment) to emerging readers. Pizzoli’s technique combines firm black outlines, solid fill, and printlike backgrounds, creating textured, wonderfully expressive cartoon illustrations. Sequel Jack Blasts Off! publishes simultaneously and takes the duo’s winning formula into an outer-space setting—proving that good manners really do transcend species. Both books end with instructions on how to draw various characters. Adult readers may note that Jack’s too-consistent wickedness combines with minimal consequences to send mixed messages.

Bad bunny. good book. (Early reader. 5-8)