Hippity-Hoppity

Back in 1202 a mathematician, Fibonacci, wondered how many male and female pairs of rabbits there would be after each month and one year given ideal circumstances starting with just one newborn male and female.  Mathematics aside, British author and illustrator, Emily Gravett , has clearly and cleverly with much humor given us a delightful visual interpretation in her title, The Rabbit Problem (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November 2, 2010).

Using oil based pencil-watercolor paint and carrots? coupled with hand lettered text, readers young and old alike will find themselves eagerly turning the pages as each month rolls or should I say hops past.  Originally published in 2009 in Great Britain the American version followed in November 2010 with a different cover that resembles a chalkboard in color and texture.  After turning two pages of rabbits attempting to solve the problem, a rabbit hole, literally appears, inviting readers to join the bunny fun shifting the book's format to a wall calendar style complete with the requisite hole for hanging.

In January Lonely the Rabbit sends out an invitation, which is the first of many inventive, folding, attachments to the calendar pages.  By February Chalk has joined Lonely with preparations for impending parenthood underway.  As the population expands and grows so do the supplements from Bunny's First Month, to a Ration Book, to The Fibber, Fibonacci's Field's Only Local Newspaper headlining a Boredom Strike, to The Carrot Cookbook and of course, another rabbit hole.

Unfolding the pages leaping lapins burst forth in a final glorious graphic of paper engineering which will be viewed repeatedly.  Hop to it fans of long, lop-eared, wide-eyed rabbits, you will smile and discover something new at each reading.

To discover more about Emily Gravett and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At the publisher's website you can view several interior images.