Here are some of this book's reviews
K-Gr 2. Mole, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Hedgehog return for another cozy story. Mole has not heard from Rabbit for a while, so he decides to visit her. Since it's been raining for days, he decides to tunnel underground to her home. Along the way, he encounters Squirrel and Hedgehog, who follow the intrepid digger beneath the earth in order to stay dry. Meanwhile, Rabbit is at home with a cold and is also missing her pals. Just as she is hoping that someone would drop in to see her, Mole and the others burrow through the ceiling and do exactly that. When they realize that she is feeling poorly, Squirrel brings her some nuts and Hedgehog fetches some dry leaves to refresh her bed. But what does Mole bring? Why, he brought Rabbit's friends, which is the best gift of all.
Although the story's outcome may be obvious to adults, children will enjoy this simple tale of friendship. Cabban's cuddly animals drawn in a palette of soft, autumn watercolors reinforce the warm and fuzzy feeling of Emmett's story. A pleasant selection for fall storytimes and a good choice for beginning readers.
Martha Simpson, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Three animal friends decide to visit Rabbit, who is not well. Squirrel brings Rabbit some nuts and Hedgehog brings fresh leaves for a bed. But, what can Mole give her?
The lovely autumnal feel of this book, with its colourful leaves, makes it a great introduction to an autumn topic. The delightful illustrations of tree roots and tunnels also open the way for plenty of discussion with children about what happens underground, and the animals that live there. The intrinsic messages in the story illustrate the rewards of friendship, working together, and caring for others, and the clear, simple text with many high-frequency words will encourage young readers to read alone.
Suitable for: boys/girls/4-5/reading aloud/reluctant readers
Brenda Williams, CHILD EDUCATION PLUS
Mole, charming hero of three other stories, has not seen his friend Rabbit for days and is concerned. After a week of rain, he decides that since he cannot go out, he will tunnel underground to check on her. Squirrel is about to bury some nuts when an "Ouch!" reveals that his hole has intersected Mole's tunnel. Squirrel gladly joins him. Next they disturb Hedgehog, who decides to come along. Meanwhile, Rabbit is not only miserable with a bad cold, but lonely as well. The arrival of her friends with their gifts and caring cheers her greatly. Only Mole is sad because he has not brought her anything, but she reminds him that he brought "the best gift of all" …friends.
Cabban's visual tale begins on the front end pages depicting Mole's climb from his tunnel into an autumn landscape with falling leaves and rain. It ends on the back end pages showing a landscape where the whole gang is happily greeting each other. Gentle watercolors and pencil create a friendly group of anthropomorphic forest citizens who end the story in a group hug.
Ken & Sylvia Marantz, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Cheerful and colorful artwork fit perfectly with the text in this story about animal friends.
On a cold, rainy day Mole decides to dig a tunnel to visit his friend Rabbit, whom he hasn’t seen for days. En route, he recruits Squirrel and Hedgehog to follow him through the tunnel. When they burst in, Rabbit is overjoyed. She’s had a cold and is lonely. Although Mole wishes he’d brought a present for his sick friend, it turns out he’s delivered the best gift of all.
Richard Tambling, JOURNAL ENQUIRER
It is autumn in "The Best Gift of All". Rain has been falling for a week, so Mole decides to visit his friend Rabbit underground. He gathers Squirrel and Hedgehog, and the three follow the tunnels until they arrive in Rabbit's burrow. There they find her "under the weather" and longing for company. When the three friends "drop in" from above, she begins to feel better right away.
Young children will enjoy the appealing animal characters and the burrowing and tunneling (not to mention the underground word play such as "drop in" and "under the weather") that moves the story along in this cheerful and brightly colored, cumulative tale.
Marigny Dupuy, THE TIMES-PICAYUNE |
