review#363 – The Very Big Carrot by Satoe Tone

9780802854261

written and illustrated by Satoe Tone

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

4 Stars

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Back Cover: When six imaginative rabbits discover a very big carrot, they dream up all sorts of adventurous ways to use it. But will they think of the most obvious use of all?

First Sentence: One day, six rabbits found a very big carrot.

What the Story is About: Six various sized and synchronized white rabbits have been digging. What they found was an enormous carrot. After digging the carrot up, the rabbits lifted it up and began carrying their large discovery home. Along the way, the rabbits began thinking about the best way to use their oversized orange gem. One suggestion: they make a boat, launch it, and say hello to the fish. Another suggestion: they carve the carrot into an airplane and visit faraway places. Idea after idea is suggested, each time preceded by the line, “What could they do with the very big carrot?” This nicely invites children to dream up their own ideas about how to use an enormous carrot. Soon, all of this dreaming makes the rabbits hungry. Still, they carried the carrot, until there was one last suggestion.

carrot 2a

What I Thought: The story is short but imaginative. It is hilarious seeing six rabbits all carrying the carrot over their heads. How they managed this, I bet only a three-year-old can explain. The variously shaped rabbits have imaginations that will rub off onto young children who read this story. The repetition of the line “What could they do with the very big carrot” invites readers to answer the question along with the six white rabbits. Originally published in France, this is another Eerdmans Publishing translation for English speaking youngsters and their parents

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This humungous carrot mostly takes up the illustrations yet never seen in its entirety. Kids will appreciate the rabbits—always synchronized—strolling across the carrot, upside down, using their ears as legs. I thought it was interestingly bizarre and very funny. In another illustration, the rabbits are laying in the green carrot top, hands folded behind their heads, maybe looking at the clouds, seeing more carrots or possibly more rabbits. They do look comfortable. The Very Big Carrot is a delightful bedtime story that can get a child receptive to his own dreaming. The Very Big Carrot proves imagination alone can entertain children if it is humorous and invites children into the story.

NEW! SHORT REVIEW (click here)