Written by Jessica Vitalis
This is a lovely fantasy story which goes back and forth between the perspectives of a young rabbit and the young daughter of the leader of a French city. But Quincy is not just any rabbit. He’s part of a highly intelligent species of a rabbit colony that help grow a special breed of purple carrots (and human babies for the town inside of these carrots!) and exchange with the local French town, making a symbiotic relationship between the two species and cultures. Until the daughter of the city’s leader catches Quincy in her garden and follows him to their secret Warren to steal a growing baby in the ground to be her long-desired younger sister, and discovers that both sides are in dire need of help to survive.
I really loved this unique story, bringing in fantasy elements as well as natural elements to a story about the pressures put upon the characters by their families and how they try to pursue their dreams only to discover the mistakes it could cause instead, leading them to develop their own courage and ability to live up to even more potential then they originally dreamed of. I highly recommend this book to young readers overwhelmed with the pressures of expectations and in need of reminders of their own wonderful worth.Reviewed by Natalie Goodman, Librarian, Woodrow Wilson Elementary
Review shared in March 2024
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 3-6
The Rabbit’s Gift
Written by Jessica Vitalis
Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
305 pages
Release Date: October 25, 2022
ISBN: 9780063067462 (hardcover) / 9780063067479 (paperback)
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
