Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Where Does Rabbit Live? A Big Book of Animal Searches
Board Book
For ages 3 to 5
Clavis, 2015 ISBN: 978-1605372426
Rabbit is looking for his home and he is having trouble finding the right place, the home that is suitable for a rabbit. When we first meet him he is in a garden and he is sitting in a nest in a tree, which we know is completely the wrong place for him to be. After all, “birds live in nests,” not rabbits.
After we have helped Rabbit see the error of his ways we get to explore the garden, which is full of animals of all kinds. There are eight goldfish in the pond, ten mice hiding in sneaky places, three dogs, two cats, a heron and many other creatures. A key on the side of the page shows us how many animals there are and it is up to us to find them all. Text on the page also asks us two questions. We are asked to figure out which of the two cats is inside the house and which is outside. The second question asks us if we see an orange triangle, and then we have to find other orange things in the picture.
Next we go to the meadow, and poor Rabbit has chosen the wrong house. Again. This time he is sitting in the middle of a spider’s web. The meadow is a busy place and it too is full of all kinds of creatures. There are little animals like ants, snails, and slugs, and then there is a mole, which is watching what is going on. Once again we need to find all the animals pictured in the key and we also have to figure which ladybug has lots of dots and which has only a few. Then we need to find a red circle and identity all the circular objects on the page.
We then go on to visit the mountains, a jungle, the ocean, and a wood. In all, children get to look for four hundred animals in the artwork, and they also get to explore opposites, colors, and shapes. They also learn a little about animal names, environments and homes.
Packed with wonderful worlds to explore, and lots of search-and-find and counting exercises to try, this is a book that will keep children entertained for hours.
