cover image Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide!

Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide!

Candace Fleming, , illus. by G. Brian Karas. . Atheneum/Seo, $16.99 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-689-87479-6

Fleming and Karas bring back the three bunnies that made Mr. McGreely's life so difficult in Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! This time it's winter, and "those wily twitchwhiskers" are seeking warm shelter. "Oh, no," says Mr. McGreely. "I shared my carrots with you, but I'm not sharing my house. Now, hop off, scram, shoo!" Famous last words: despite the man's best efforts to seal up his house (echoing the elaborate defense system he concocted in the original book), the bunnies find a host of ways to gain entry ("Tippy-tippy-tippy, hide!" becomes their refrain). Even more irritating, they always escape by morning—but not before leaving evidence behind (Mr. McGreely wakes up one morning and "instead of his teddy bear next to him, all he found was... bunny drops!"). Karas's freewheeling drawing style deftly keeps the story off-balance and captures Mr. McGreely's descent into comic madness. At the same time, the illustrator evokes the chill and darkness of winter. But as in its predecessor, the real fun is in the text, with its liberal use of onomatopoeia and infectious, percussive prose. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)