Starred review from May 14, 2012
“I have not seen many rabbits moping, but when they do, their ears droop.” So begins this pitch-perfect new adventure of the mischievous bunny who first appeared 110 years ago in Beatrix Potter’s original tale. Perhaps understandably, Peter is, by now, a bit bored with life in the sandbank. Warned against wandering off by Benjamin Bunny (“Too many carts on the road.... Too many owls, and too many foxes”), Peter (again) wriggles under Mr. McGregor’s gate, this time into an “interesting basket smelling of onions.” After eating the picnic lunch within, he nods off, awakened later by the jostling of a horse-drawn cart he’s been loaded onto, which is en route to, of all places, Scotland. There he meets Finlay McBurney, “a HUGE black rabbit in a kilt, a dagger thrust into the top of his laced-up boot,” and a distant relative. Peter is in good hands with Finlay and gets the adventure he sought. Thompson and Taylor preserve the delicious dry wit of Potter’s original tales—this is top-notch read-aloud fare that both children and their parents will enjoy. Here’s to having Peter hop into trouble for another hundred years. Includes an audio recording of the tale, read by Thompson. Ages 5–6.
December 1, 2012
Preschool-G Thompson, actress and childhood fan of Peter Rabbit, writes in her introduction that she received a request from Peter himself to come up with a new tale. And so she does, in this story full of familiar yet satisfying tropes. Peter would like to leave his home for a bit and see new things, but Benjamin Bunny reminds him of the danger. The choice is taken from his hands when he steps into a wagon, hoping for onions but finding himself on the open road instead. When he finally escapes, he is discovered by Finlay, a huge black rabbit in a kilt, who takes him home, feeds him porridge, and then brings him to a day of games where clans battle to bring home the Golden Cup. The rest of the story concerns Peter and a giant radish and a misunderstanding that helps Finlay win the cup. It's all a bit confusing, but Thompson writes with an impish charm that helps make up for the story's shortfalls. As for the pictures, well, they're hardier than Potter's lines, with more robust characters (especially that Finlay!). But this is certainly a handsome package: oversize format; thick, creamy paper; nicely reproduced art.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)