Nibbles O'Hare - Hardcover

Easter may never be the same now that Nibbles O'Hare has arrived on the scene in this new twist on the traditional bunny tale. A dapper con artist who enjoys stealing vegetables from his local restaurant, Nibbles finds himself on the lam when a wanted poster with his picture on it goes up around town. With his best friend, Struts, a cocky city pigeon, the fugitive rabbit makes his way to the countryside. There they renovate a little abandoned playhouse and start a new life. Along the way, the duo meets a friendly squirrel, Wacky Shellhammer, who moves in with them. Of course, trouble is not far behind. The local rabbit population, led by a particularly nasty fellow named One-eyed Jacks, is up in arms at the intrusion. To save his skin, Nibbles boldly declares himself the Easter Bunny--something the rabbits seriously doubt. To prove it, Nibbles organizes them into a crack troop of Easter egg-dyers and candy makers. When the scam is revealed on the eve of the holiday, everyone but Nibbles's loyal pals abandons him. Soldiering on alone, Nibbles works through the night until each and every basket is delivered. Suddenly back in everyone's good graces, a happy Nibbles is allowed to stay on as local hero.

While the story does have its entertaining moments, Nibbles's dubious transformation from thief to good guy undercuts its humorous appeal. Had he really put his evil ways behind him or is he just trying to avoid more trouble? Because the story fails to develop the main characters beyond a superficial level, there's nothing really memorable or engaging about any of them. On another note, children who still believe in the Easter Bunny may find the overall premise disconcerting. If Nibbles is just pretending to be the Easter Bunny, what's happened to the real one? The vibrant, appealing illustrations--the strongest aspect of the book--are boldly comic, giving each of the main characters a distinctive, wacky look. Unfortunately, the story doesn't do them justice. (Ages 4 and older) --Marianne Painter

Betty Paraskevas and Michael Paraskevas are a mother-and-son team who have collaborated on a number of well-loved books and best-selling picture books, including On the Day the Tall Ships Sailed, Hoppy and Joe, and the Maggi and the Ferocious Beast books, which are based on the Nickelodeon TV show of the same name. They also write and illustrate Junior Kroll for Hemispheres magazine and Dan's Papers. Betty and Michael live in Southampton, New York.