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

PreS-Gr 2Young rabbit Charlotte considers herself a serious scientist, complete with a lab coat and goggles, a clipboard, and a healthy understanding of the scientific method. There's just one small detail holding her back: her large, rambunctious bunny family. Tired of being squished at the dinner table and finding her beloved beakers and test tubes accidentally broken, Charlotte hypothesizes, experiments, and observes her way to a solution: a carrot-shaped spaceship for one, of course. But when loneliness gets the best of her, it's "time for more experiments!" This picture book debut is a smart tale of familial frustrations and resulting ingenuity that's sure to resonate with makers and readers with their own share of pesky siblings. Farley's illustrationsdone in charcoal, pencil, and ink on paper and colored digitallyare filled with humorous touches that invite repeat viewing (watch how Charlotte's bunny ears communicate her feelings). The use of pastel colors and black outlines adeptly mirrors the tone, light but not precious. Select pages include the appropriate step in the scientific method ("Step 2: Form a Hypothesis"), and cutaways to Charlotte's clipboard help to reinforce how the process works. An ending spread, "In the Lab with Charlotte," breaks down each step, with a reference to where it occurs in the story, making this title ideal for sharing one-on-one or with a small group. VERDICT Perfect for aspiring scientists and fans of Vera Brosgol's Leave Me Alone!and a fine addition to picture book collections.Della Farrell, School Library Journal

ALA Booklist (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Charlotte is no ordinary rabbit; she's a serious scientist who loves to solve problems. Her latest one is a doozy: her family is huge and their burrow is tiny, so Charlotte has no room to conduct her experiments. Using the scientific method, Charlotte tries to solve her problem, and the first step is to ask a question: "How can I get some space around here?!" Her first couple of hypotheses don't pan out, but then she lands on a brilliant idea: "If she was going to get some space . . . she would have to go there." Then, she zips off to the moon in a carrot-shaped rocket, but soon she discovers a new problem: "Space was lonely!" Andros' science-laced text and Farley's animated scenes, replete with amusing antics and hilarious facial expressions, will get kids laughing and learning. Closes with a detailed explanation of the method, as well as an invitation for readers to submit their own stories about using the scientific method. This playful lesson on problem solving is packed with charm.

Horn Book

Bunny Charlotte figures things out using the scientific method. She loves doing experiments and making discoveries but lives with lots of siblings who get in her way and spoil results. After going to outer space, she realizes that she misses her family and returns to claim "her own space." Whimsical illustrations show a stepped approach to problem-solving. More on the scientific method is appended.

Kirkus Reviews

How to find the peace and quiet needed for serious research? Use the scientific method! Having no place for scientific work in her crowded bunny household, even in the privy, Charlotte systematically sets out to solve the issue. Failures to make either her sibs vanish (hypothesis No. 1) or herself (hypothesis No. 2) lead to the next logical step, a proposition that in order to "get some space" she will have to "go there." Off she blasts in a homemade rocket that looks, in Farley's cartoon illustrations, remarkably like a carrot (detailed inside plans provided on the endpapers). She concludes, after carefully recording observations, that space is "splendid!" But it's also lonely—and with no rescue in earshot if the toilet paper runs out. Further tests and experiments end with a return to Earth, a warm welcome from her flop-eared, multicolored clan, and the satisfying conclusion that with the carrot-craft to serve as an occasional retreat, Charlotte doesn't need outer space, just "her own space." Andros closes with a step-by-step recap of her lab-coated lagomorph's efforts, with review questions, to let readers test their own understanding of this simplified version of the scientific method. Loads of charm methodically delivered. (Picture book. 6-8)