In this sweet picture book, six rabbits of various roundness find an enormous carrot. They dream about all of the different ways they can use the carrot; as a boat, a plane, a garden, and a house. Finally, they hit upon the obvious use. The text is not very complicated or witty, but the true charm of this title is the illustrations. Each one shows the fat bunnies in various poses in fantastical landscapes, sure to stir the imagination of readers. A lovely addition. ( )

A very cute story about some bunnies who find an unbelievably large carrot--but what really makes this book a winner are the illustrations. Every page is an atmospheric wonderland of light and gentle brush strokes and colors. My girls (4 and 1) love the story, but mommy loves the illustrations even more! ( )

I was intrigued by the illustrations in this little book, but I will admit the first time I read it I wasn't impressed by the plot, or lack thereof. However, the more I read it, the more I liked it.

I thought it was going to be a retelling of the folktale (sometimes it's a giant radish, sometimes a giant carrot - you know the one where they keep adding people to try to pull it out of the ground?) but it's a completely unique story. Six rabbits happen upon a giant carrot, a swirl of orange in the midst of a field of tiny orange carrots, surrounded by patterned leaves. The adorable shovel-bearing bunnies unearth the carrot and set off home, trying to think of a way to use it. Boat? Airplane? Could they make it into a sky garden or a house? All that thinking makes them hungry and they come up with the perfect use for such a very big carrot...dinner!

This is an elegant little book and the big draw for me were the imaginative, dreamy pictures. The little details on the rabbits add a note of humor. I loved the intricate background patterns and the lacy detail work on the carrot top.

Verdict: You could use this to spark some imagination play or just to enjoy the lovely art. It's too small to really work well in storytime, but as a one-on-one read-aloud I would recommend it.

ISBN: 9780802854261; Published July 2013 by Eerdmans; Review copy provided by the publisher; Added to the library's tentative order list

I received this book through Early Reviewers, and was disappointed to only receive a folded and gathered copy, not an actual book. That aside, here is my review. This book gets all of its stars for the pictures, which are interesting, colorful, detailed, and fantastical. It is the story of a group of bunnies that find a big carrot and think of all the things they could do with it, until finally realizing they could eat it, the end. I felt that the text was disappointing because it was not as creative and interesting as the pictures. For example: "One day, six rabbits found a very big carrot. 'Wow! What a very big carrot!' they said to each other." It lacks the richness needed to stand up to the pictures. ( )

Six rabbits discover an enormous carrot and ponder the many uses it might have,

"What could they do with the very big carrot? Maybe they could make it into a boat ... and say hello to all the fishes!"

Perhaps, an airplane, or a house, "the biggest house in the whole world!"

But no, in the end, it becomes clear that the best thing to do with a very bit carrot is eat it!

First published in France and translated to English, The Very Big Carrot's short, simple sentences (one or two on every other page), simple plot, and cozy little size, make it perfect for sharing one-on-one with very young children. Satoe Tone's full-bleed, double-spread illustrations are a fine balance of bright and soothing colors. The stylistic rendering of the rabbits (a co-worker dubbed them "Tim Burton-esque"), might be a tad mystifying for toddlers. Their faces and ears require careful examination, dwarfed by their large, plump, and triangular bodies. Nevertheless, they have an appealing charm.

Advance review copy provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

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