Good Hearted

Robert Lawson's Rabbit Hill has a rather misleading title.  When I say the title Rabbit Hill you will probably guess that the book is all about rabbits who live on a hill.  Or, if your brain takes you a different direction, you may think the book is all about things that happen at a place called Rabbit Hill.  There are in fact rabbits who live on the Hill but to say this story is solely about these two things would be quite the understatement. 

I guessed that this book would be all about rabbits who live on a hill so I was plesantly surprised to find that the story goes much deeper than that.  This is a story of change and understanding, of predictions and surprises and of family and healing.  The rabbit family as well as the surrounding woodland creatures have lived on the Hill for generations.  There is a house with a garden on the premises but no human has lived there for years.  That all changes one day when a new family comes in.

What follows is a story of ingenuity and trust as the animals try to learn just what kind of people these new humans are and the humans try to win the trust of the animals.  You see these are not your average humans, they are unfailingly generous, overwhelmingly kind, and full of love for every animal who crosses their path. Yet another heartwarming read for the holidays.

This book carries a, "be kind to animals," message without being preachy.  The animals become real and relatable in a way that does not make humans feel unapproachable.  This book is a delightful weaving of fantasy and reality done in so nice a way that you really wish it could be true.

Kindness and caring-even to animals...that's kids stuff