RODNEY'S INSIDE STORY

Orchard Books, 1992. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/New. Lynne Barasch. CONDITION:UNREAD, but not quite perfect, 1992 Orchard hardcover (red boards with embossed artichoke on front board) & dust jacket (in mylar cover), first edition, first printing. Tiny, tiny edge wear top DJ edge at spine. Blank bookplate covers bookstore stamp, I believe. Adorable, simple color illustrations by the Author. CONTENT: Baby Grey, a rabbit who lives under a tree and loves eating, has a book about Rodney Rabbit, and Rodney, who lives in a cabbage, has one about him, through which they both learn the meaning of home and family Barasch's winsome first picture book is an ambitious effort--a story within a story about two young rabbits. As Baby Gray is being tucked into bed, his mother reads him the story of Rodney Rabbit, a vegetable fancier who "has tomatoes to juggle, a green pepper hula hoop to spin and a radish doll to hug." Sometimes Rodney reads a book about a rabbit named Baby Gray who shares with his family a passion for food--at a picnic, in fact, they assemble the same assortment of vegetables found in Rodney's room. Reading about the feast whets Rodney's appetite and, after devouring "some beet cookies from his artichoke cookie jar," the story concludes with both bunnies snoozing in their respective beds. Barasch imbues this slight but sweet story with a quirky charm. Very clever way to introduce children to vegetables they will be eating the rest of their live. My favorite? a Celery phone. PreK+.