Counting from 1 to 10 and back again—that’s the concept in this never-before-published book from the renowned children’s book creator. With pure Sendak whimsy, this simple story will grab readers’ attention. Useful as a counting book for young children, this charmer also lends itself to home or classroom discussions of strategies for recognizing and dealing with obstacles and frustration. A newly discovered treasure from a beloved children’s book magician. — School Library Journal (starred review)
This previously unpublished treasure from the late Sendak recalls the creator’s Nutshell Library in its gentle-hued simplicity. The action runs full circle from mirth to mayhem and back, and droll, controlled sketches order the chaos, highlighting each new development, beat by beat, en route to a satisfying “all done.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The M emblazoned on his stage podium could just as well stand for Max or Mickey or Maurice, as another little boy with flair, talent, and determination. There’s also drama in the changing expressions on the boy’s face as a magic trick that begins in pride and insouciance starts to overwhelm him. A true Sendak hero, he sets himself to rights. Go[es] straight to the heart. — Horn Book (starred review)
A posthumously published tale of overly prolific bunnies from a master of the picture-book form. Visually similar to such Sendak crowd-pleasers as the Nutshell Library titles. Children will be drawn to the escalating tide of fuzzy bunnies and will share the protagonist’s sense of satisfaction at watching them go. — Kirkus Reviews
This sweet offering will round out your Sendak collection nicely! — We Are Teachers
Picture-book gold. You can practically hear the applause...not only from audience members who appreciate the performance but from the legions of Sendak fans who may not have encountered this charming little gem before. This never-before-published Sendak might be small, but it surely will be of interest to his many, many fans. — Booklist
An adorable counting book. It’s refreshing to find a book that just wants to make kids giggle and count. I suspect that henceforth at every baby shower, at least 10 copies of this hoppy book will magically appear. — Washington Post
Ten Little Rabbits is a brisk, sweet, and funny picture-book intro to counting that makes an audacious suggestion: there's something magical about numbers. — Shelf Awareness
"Works beautiful for [a wide audience of children]." — Wall Street Journal
"Full of fun and good times." — THE CHILDRENS BOOKSHELF series at WCMU Public Radio
Children will be amazed, dazzled, and mesmerized by Mino's magic show, as Ten Little Rabbits becomes a small reader's introduction to the magic of Maurice Sendak's books. A fun read from start to finish, "Ten Little Rabbits" is a novel, humorous, and truly effective approach for introducing children to numbers. This is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections. — Children's Bookwatch
★ 10/01/2023
PreS-Gr 1—Counting from 1 to 10 and back again—that's the concept in this never-before-published book from the renowned children's book creator. With pure Sendak whimsy, this simple story will grab readers' attention. At first, a child magician stands next to the podium marked with the letter "M" (for Magician, Maurice, or perhaps for Max from Where the Wild Things Are?). Dressed in striped trousers and tails, the magician smiles confidently as the first rabbit appears. Then the child's facial expressions change as each additional rabbit jumps out of the top hat, landing on the child's arms, legs, back, and head. Will this mound of bunnies overwhelm the young conjurer? Of course, Sendak is a master at showing a child regaining control, and that's exactly what happens as the magician makes the rabbits vanish one by one, an exercise in counting backward. "None," and "All done," close out the book as the child walks offstage. The illustrations are in gray scale with the rabbits depicted in white, yellow, blue, and gray. Useful as a counting book for young children, this charmer also lends itself to home or classroom discussions of strategies for recognizing and dealing with obstacles and frustration. VERDICT A newly discovered treasure from a beloved children's book magician.—Gloria Koster
2023-11-18
A posthumously published tale of overly prolific bunnies from a master of the picture-book form.
A young magician bows before readers and releases a rabbit from his hat. More and more rabbits appear. As the book counts from one rabbit to 10, the boy becomes increasingly frustrated with the sheer number of bunnies appearing from his headwear. His irritation is alleviated only when the narrator declares, “So then—he made them vanish again!” Now the numbers count down, and with every rabbit gone the child grows distinctly happier and more lighthearted. Originally created in 1970 as a pamphlet for a fundraiser for Philadelphia’s Rosenbach Museum, this book is visually similar to such Sendak crowd-pleasers as the Nutshell Library titles, particularly One Was Johnny (1962). Adult fans seeking the darker and weightier subject matter associated with the author’s later works would do best to look elsewhere. Children, however, will be drawn to the escalating tide of fuzzy bunnies and will share the protagonist’s sense of satisfaction at watching them go. The artwork is filled with simple charm, and the counting element proves to be a nice plus as well. The protagonist has skin the white of the page.
As a counting book, fun. As a new Sendak book, by its mere existence, notable. (Picture book. 2-4)
