  | Remarkable rescue at Milkweed Meadow Author: Dimopoulos, Elaine | |
| Price: $23.08 | ||
Summary:
Butternut is a young, anxious rabbit and master storyteller who makes friends outside her burrow - even though she was cautioned not to - and now must decide whether she will remain loyal to her family or help other animals in need.
| Illustrator: | Salati, Doug |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.70 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 519923 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (04/01/23)
School Library Journal (12/02/23)
Booklist (+) (12/01/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/15/2023 *Starred Review* Members of the latest litter of rabbits in Milkweed Meadow have been brought up with strict instructions to only commune with their own kind. Grandmother Sage survived a harrowing ordeal when she was young, and she’s raised inhabitants of the warren to prize their smarts and storytelling, which help them survive in a dangerous world. Butternut is a particularly anxious bunny (she refers to her worried thoughts as “mind brambles”), but she quietly begins to take risks when they are in service to other creatures, even befriending other neighborhood animals, including a chatty robin and an injured fawn. But Butternut is soon faced with a nearly impossible decision when a life is on the line: follow her upbringing and make the rational choice or risk her life with the compassionate one. The sparkling story is both terrifically funny and quietly contemplative, touching on heavy topics with a light hand and heaps of humor. Butternut narrates the proceedings at a brisk pace, and the occasional black-and-white graphite-and-gouache illustrations add appealing visual interest. The author has created a beautifully realized natural setting, and the story takes time to celebrate the joy in existence without shying away from some sobering realities of living as a wild creature. A marvelous reminder of the power in stories and the thrill in determining one’s own destiny. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 12/02/2023 Gr 3–5—It's a big, scary world for young Butternut the bunny, who lives with her family in the burrows of idyllic Milkweed Meadow. Under the cautios head of the family, Grandmother Sage, Butternut's family lives a careful life isolated from other animals. Each night in the burrow, family members take turns sharing stories; Butternut's are the best. So it's a bitter pill for her when a brave excursion results in her mother and grandmother forbidding her to share the tale. But Butternut makes new stories and shares them with listeners outside of the rabbit family. She finds friends in the other meadow-dwellers and realizes she might be braver than she thought—maybe brave enough to pull off a remarkable rescue. This enchanting animal adventure is made up of a series of interconnected short stories. In a beautiful narrative voice, and brought to life by Salati's charming black-and-white illustrations, Butternut describes her own storytelling process. Younger and still developing readers could find this one too challenging to be an independent read. VERDICT Sure to hold appeal to the animal lovers, this would make an excellent read-aloud, especially if the audience is working on learning the elements of storytelling.—Jill Shepard - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
