Marcus Herrenberger

When the raven tells Wren that Fox has been boasting about his plans to eat Little Rabbit, the bird is horrified to learn of the danger to his leporine friend. He shares the terrible news with his forest friends, from Mouse to Squirrel, hoping that they can find a solution. At first it seems that there is nothing to be done, especially when Mama Pig refuses to help, being more worried for her own piglets. But then, when the danger is immediate, the friends all band together and save Little Rabbit, driving Fox from the forest...

Originally published in Germany as Hasenherz (literally: "Hare Heart"), Little Rabbit Has Friends is touted on the front dust-jacket of this English language translation as a story about defeating a bully. While I can certainly see how it might be interpreted that way, I always wonder whether it is wise to depict the relationship between predator and prey species in the wild in such anthropomorphic terms. Does it encourage children to see species such as the fox (or wolf) as the villain, simply because they follow their natural instinct for survival? Ironically, I just read a lovely picture-book (Hawk Rising, by Maria Gianferrari) that realistically depicts the killing of a smaller animal by a bird of prey, and think such an approach is to be preferred to the one here. Leaving that aside, this was an engaging story, and the artwork - done (so I believe) in watercolor - is lovely. I particularly appreciated the fact that the wren is depicted with a little golden crown above his head, as many folkloric traditions name him as "The King of the Birds." With the proviso that parents and educators should be aware of the problematic nature of mapping human behaviors like bullying onto natural animal relations, this is one I would recommend to those looking for children's stories about communal strength in the face of aggression.… (plus d'informations)