The Old Lion and the Little Rabbit

PreS-Gr 1—Old Lion lives far away from his herd, his role having been usurped by his sons. While resting, he discovers a baby rabbit sleeping in his mane. Employing the age-old trick of postponing dinner until it gets juicier, the lion searches for rabbit food. Kaichi creates a pleasing variety of moods with pencil and acrylic. The page that introduces readers to the pensive ex-ruler contains gray surroundings with a few green tints. Leaves and grass dominate a subsequent page, obscuring all but the lion's paws—a comical pose resulting from the foraged meal in his arms. The two creatures bond during storytelling sessions, and a taupe nocturnal scene, with the rabbit bouncing against a full moon, yields to the warmth of a sun-drenched savanna; Old Lion "had to admit that something warm stirred in him when he saw Little Rabbit each morning." The gentle narrative builds quietly until the climax, when a hyena offers to split the cuddly victim with his aged friend; as the hyena starts to pounce, Old Lion leaps first. A page turn reveals a face with full cheeks and a slinking predator. Relief turns to sadness as the rescued rabbit is carried to the grasslands and released into friendly territory, while the lion returns to his solitary life. Yet he has changed, and young listeners are left to imagine futures for each character.