Surprise! Book

PreS-Gr 1—Rabbit's friends peek conspiratorially through the curtains, whispering "Sssshh!" as he walks to the door. Inside, everything is black except for five blinking pairs of eyes until Fox flips the lights and everyone yells, "Surprise!" But soon the lights are off again, and each time they turn back on, the friends are in costume, dancing, or performing tricks. Finally, the lights go out and a surprise birthday cake appears (candles blazing), concealing the friends for one final surprise. While the concept and colorful cartoon artwork are engaging, and the alternating lights on/lights off has the potential for hilarity, the spare text feels anything but surprising. As a read-aloud, it is unlikely to hold the interest of a group, and the target audience age seems unclear. For animal-themed silly suspense stories, Jan Thomas takes the cake.—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH