Rabbit Moon

Jean Kim, in rhyming text, tells how Rabbit comes out to play with his friends on a very moon-filled night. The themes of play, wishes, loneliness and friendship all come together in Rabbit Moon.

Rabbit takes the paper airplane wishes all the way to the moon, he grinds them up into stardust and spreads their light around the sky. But this is lonely work, so one-night Rabbit goes down to play with the animals making the wishes. And while he is having much fun, he notices that the stars are going away and he must make a hard choice.

This is not really a happy book. It might not really be meant for kids in the long run. The theme of leaving is also there. Perhaps it is a bedtime read for some children. Perhaps it is a book about loss. Perhaps it is all of these and something else.

Reading Rabbit Moon makes me realize how much books have changed since I was a kid. I do not remember books being this sad. Sure, things happened, but the whole mood was not sad. The dark colors and soft text makes it for a very somber read. I think this actually would be better for an adult reader than for a child. Yet, I know a child would like the soft, almost lullaby quality to it as well.

When I read, I taste the book. I am not sure what flavor this book is. But it might just be the right one for you.