A Gift for Nana

Starred review from May 30, 2022
A rabbit quests to give his Nana a gift, even though it’s not her birthday, nor even “a major hare holiday,” in this wandering picture book. When a crow tells him that the perfect gift isn’t far away, round-headed Rabbit sets off, encountering beings both familiar and less so. (“Does your Nana need a stick?” offers a many-eyed, goblin-like Stickler.) Conveyed in a leisurely pace punctuated by flashes of humor (a big fish in a lake offers some water, adding, “I have saved some in a cup”), the sequences allow Rabbit to reflect on Nana’s special qualities, while orange and magenta splashes and crisp, varied typography enliven a quiet, earth-toned palette. Though Nana doesn’t appear until the very end, the story’s just as much about her as it is about Rabbit, and when he hands over his gift, the intimacy they share makes Rabbit’s devotion easy to understand.Ages 4–8.