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.

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