Farewell Floppy

January 5, 2015
In this provocative study of a guilty conscience, Chaud (The Bear’s Song) introduces a boy who’s planning to get rid of his white rabbit, Floppy. “I can’t have a rabbit as a best friend anymore,” he explains. “I’m not a baby.” Echoes of “Hansel and Gretel” accompany the boy’s journey deep into the forest to let Floppy go. Sensitive readers will shift in dismay as the boy ties Floppy to a tree: “Now Floppy would never follow me again.” But it’s not that simple, of course. Suddenly anxious and indecisive, the boy realizes that Floppy won’t be free if he’s tied up. When he returns, Floppy is already gone. Crows flee in alarm as the boy tries to follow Floppy; the bare trees and the boy’s blowing hair heighten the tension. When he finds Floppy—in a far better situation than anyone might have expected—he’s shamed and enlightened at the same time. Thoughtful characterization and dreamlike forest landscapes give flavor to the boy’s changing emotions, and Norman’s translation allows Chaud’s puckish humor to shine through. Ages 3–5.

December 15, 2014
A boy tries to abandon his pet rabbit only to discover-surprise!-he can't live without him.The narrator decides he's too old to have Floppy as a best pal any longer; he needs to make new, human friends. Deciding to take his pet far into the woods and leave him there to live the wild life, the boy rationalizes that Floppy will be better off there anyway. Floppy remains unconvinced and refuses to leave his owner's side. The boy's solution? Tie Floppy to a tree with a piece of yarn he unravels from his sweater. By this point, many readers and listeners-particularly if they're the guardians of beloved pets-will probably either be appalled and heartsick over the child's apparent callousness and hate this book, or they'll get the perverse joke and recognize that this is a friendship story deliberately turned on its (lop) ear and predict a happy outcome for Floppy. In a sudden change of heart, our boy returns to the tree, but this bunny's hopped. You think the kid's happy? Of course not! Now panicky, he goes in search of his rabbit. In a weak and unconvincing ending, the boy is thankful to discover that bunny's fine, having been "rescued" by a girl whom he'd noticed earlier that day in the woods. As for Floppy, he remains unfazed by the whole ordeal. Predictable and only mildly amusing; no need to hop to this one. (Picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-It's time to grow up and make friends with other kids, which means that Floppy, a little boy's pet rabbit, must go. Leading the drolly expressionless Lop bunny deep into the woods, the apple-cheeked, snub-nosed protagonist experiences conflicting feelings regarding Floppy's abandonment. His immediate change of heart, tender notes of reunification, reestablished respect, and even the promise of a new friend conclude the story. Starting with the endpapers, symbolically patterned with red knitting, the illustrations and visual design of the book are appealing and clever. When the pet is eventually left behind, a swirl of oversize Floppies crowd the page to represent the narrator's troubled mind. Unfortunately, this otherwise charming picture book is marred by the inclusion of a depiction of the boy and rabbit playing "cowboys and Indians," the former shown wearing a feathered headdress with arrows protruding from his side as the boy lassoes him with red thread. VERDICT The sweet innocence of the artwork belies the serious issues that are touched on in this provocative book. Should future editions eliminate the troubling stereotype depicted, this would be an excellent title to spark discussion on responsibility, remorse, and forgiveness.-Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Grades K-2 A boy introduces Floppy, his amiable but languid pet rabbit, by describing his good points ( soft as a pillow with fur like silk ) as well as his bad points (useless as a playing companion for football, wrestling, or cowboys and Indians ). The boy, deciding that it's time to move on from having Floppy as a best friend, takes him out to the woods and, despite a few qualms, leaves him there, tied to a tree. The boy quickly repents and returns, but he must search long and hard to find his pet again. It remains unclear whether the boy's initial decision to ditch his pet was prompted by outside pressure to grow up and make some friends. But as his need for Floppy becomes apparent, he becomes an increasingly more sympathetic character. The reference to playing cowboys and Indians and its accompanying illustration are, at best, anachronistic. Still, Chaud, a gifted French author and illustrator, offers a nuanced first-person narrative illustrated with expressive use of line and a fine understanding of dramatic composition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
A young boy tires of his pet rabbit, Floppy, and decides to abandon him in the woods. While soft, sweet, and cute, Floppy, a lop rabbit, is useless at play. Rich, detailed illustrations are wonderfully textured and dramatic, but the story drags on to its happy ending, as the boy discovers feelings of remorse and friendship.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)