Sendak, Maurice. Ten Little Rabbits. Maurice Sendak, Illus. Harper, 02/2024. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-0-06-264467-1. GRADES Baby/Toddler–Kindergarten. OUTSTANDING.
A young magician uses his magic wand to make rabbits appear out of a hat one at a time, until they overwhelm him. He then makes them disappear one at a time. The text is mainly just the numeral for the number of rabbits—first one to ten, then ten to one, then none. This simple but humorous counting book has very little text, so the illustrations convey the story. Sendak’s signature ink cartoon drawings on stark white backgrounds feature just bits of yellow and blue, and the magician resembles Max from Where the Wild Things Are (Harper & Row, 1963). One could quibble that the word for each number would be helpful, but this is still a joyous counting book. Originally written for a museum fundraiser in 1970, this is the book’s first formal publication.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool