Hundred Feet Tall

On a snowy walk with their parents, one expecting, a young rabbit discovers a “little brown seed” and takes it back to their city home, where they plant it in a jar, promising “that you’ll help it to grow.” Over the course of the story, the slow growth that stems from both the child’s and expecting parent’s nurturing becomes apparent—the seedling begins to take root, “grows a little green stalk,” and sprouts into a sapling as the family prepares to welcome a newborn. When the young tree outgrows its vessel, the rabbit, along with grown family and a neighborhood community of various animals, plants it in a plot on the street to be enjoyed by all. Scheuer’s text communicates the sweetness of anticipation, as does Williams’s digitally rendered artwork—in most spreads, the young rabbit lovingly admires and tends to the jar while being tended to by loved ones. An affecting volume about the quiet, nourishing work of loving. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)