Kirkus Reviews

Wham! Bam! Chop! Can Black Belt Bunny pick up a new skill?Black Belt Bunny is "reeeeeeeeeeally fast," superstrong, "surprisingly sneaky," and, in sum, "nothing short of swell." But when it comes to learning something new—it's time to learn how to make a salad—Black Belt Bunny is nowhere to be found. What's wrong? Alas, since Black Belt Bunny does not talk, it's never entirely clear. In the manner of Deborah Underwood and Claudia Rueda's Here Comes the Easter Cat (2014) and companions, the story is told entirely through the narrator's one-sided dialogue with the nonverbal bunny. Fleck's pencil-and-digital illustrations depict an incredibly emotive Bunny, but Davis' text only hints at, without quite confirming, Bunny's central crisis. Readers might guess that this is a won't-eat-vegetables story, but little Bunny apparently loves salad. The narrator notes that Bunny has never made a salad before, implying it's a fear of trying new things. Readers, on the other hand, may well wonder why Bunny has to make a salad at all, and thus will have trouble following the narrator's logic. The text is funniest and most relevant when revealing the narrator's own fears, but it more often adopts the weirdly effusive praise of an overindulgent adult ("Black Belt Bunny, you continue to amaze me"). Black Belt Bunny's salad doesn't quite come together. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

An off-page narrator introduces Black Belt Bunny, a small, energetic rabbit seen wearing a white gi. After telling readers about the skills the rabbit has mastered (-downward blocks, center punches, and knee drops-), the narrator drops a shocker: -Now it is time for you, little Black Belt, to learn how to... make a salad.- Black Belt Bunny-s ears droop, he hides, and he attempts to flag a taxi before turning his martial arts abilities on the veggies (-Side-kick those carrots. Slice that lettuce!-). Giving the unseen narrator all the speaking lines while Bunny responds through gesture and expression lets Fleck (Double Take! A New Look at Opposites) demonstrate his own chops with an array of scowls, pouts, and conspiratorial grins (and kicks and punches, of course). Black Belt Bunny is a great stand-in for any super-wiggly elementary schooler as Davis (the Ladybug Girl series) combines martial arts action, sly humor, and the conviction that even the very small can learn how to channel their energy into real-world tasks. Ages 3-5. Author-s agent: Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. Illustrator-s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (July)

School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 1In this humorous story about a karate-obsessed bunny, Davis uses the exchange between an unknown narrator and Black Belt Bunny as a platform for the topic of reluctant/picky eating. The narrator playfully convinces a hesitant young rabbit to use his karate skills to make a nutritious salad. After realizing he can karate chop cabbage, the bunny excitedly "WHAMs," slices, and dices his way through carrots, lettuce, eggplant, beets, and other vegetables. Black Belt proudly presents the salad to the narrator. In an amusing turn of events, it's the narrator who needs to learn a lesson about healthy eating. Fleck's pencil and digital illustrations, done in a warm, earthy palette, have a lively, cartoonish, handcrafted feel. The simplicity of the artwork allows readers to appreciate Black Belt Bunny's facial expressions, which contribute to the humor and action of the narrative. Pair this title with Juana Medina's 1 Big Salad, Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Little Pea, or Lauren Child's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato for a silly, healthy eatingthemed storytime. VERDICT A recommended purchase for most libraries, this entertaining picture book will encourage readers to explore and prepare the vegetables in their own kitchens.Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ