ISBN 0307021076 - Little Golden Books are among the favorite books of generations of children and collecting them is a fun way to re-visit those childhood memories. Little Cottontail, by Carl Memling, is one of those books where the story has stayed in my mind for years, even after I couldn't remember the title.
Little Cottontail, like all children, looks forward to being grownup. He has no idea, however, what it will take to get there, so he begins to ask. His mother explains some of the things that he must do before he can be grownup, starting with leaving the nest. Little Cottontail follows her instruction and asks, after each thing, if he is NOW grownup. When his mother teaches him how to know that a fox is approaching and what to do to get away, she has no idea how soon he'll need this skill. Catching the scent of a fox, Little Cottontail alerts everyone and they all scatter. His mother runs, hoping he's learned the lesson well - and when the danger is gone and she finds her son safe, he assures him that NOW he is grownup.
The reason this story stuck with me for years could either be the reason you don't want it for your kid or the reason they'll really like: the cottontails know the fox is hoping to eat them. The chase is exciting and, since the end of the book finds everyone safe, it never bothered me, but there's the chance it will bother you. Lilian Obligado's illustrations are mostly average but a few, especially those with bunnies everywhere!, are memorable.
