ALA Booklist (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2007)

This colorful book spotlights five poems drawn from the 25 in Margaret Wise Brown's original Nibble Nibble: Poems for Young Children (1959). Rabbits are a unifying theme throughout the book: they are at least mentioned in each poem, and their soft, rounded forms are in the forefront of nearly all the illustrations. Minor creates an entirely child-friendly setting for the verse in a series of paintings with large-scale figures of animals and plants clearly defined against the backgrounds. Repeated strokes of color create forms that are easy for even very young children to discern and appealing in a rather old-fashioned yet timeless way. A new generation of children will enjoy these favorites in a fresh arena.

Kirkus Reviews

Five poems, originally published in 1959, are newly illustrated with lovely, detailed illustrations of bunnies, mice and other animals in natural surroundings. Reminiscent of Leonard Weisgard's classic illustrations for Brown's The Golden Egg Book, the large, engaging pictures are excellent for group sharing, and Brown's rhymes and rhythms will invite participation. The first three poems contain onomatopoeic sounds such as zoom, nibble, flippity and lippity and simple nursery-like rhymes that nevertheless hint at underlying emotions. The final poem, "Cadence," is almost Blakean in its simply worded expression of a complex, almost mystical idea: "This is the music I have heard / In the cadence of the word / Not spoken yet / And not yet heard." Minor's furry, natural-looking animals and flowery meadows have an almost tactile reality, and his illustrations add movement, drama and context to the poems, making this book a treasure for a new generation. (Picture book/poetry. 2-6)

School Library Journal (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2007)

PreS-Gr 1 Large, almost tactile paintings of birds, butterflies, and bunnies combine well with the flow of Brown's charming poems, originally published in 1959. "Here comes a bunny/The first to stray/Out of April/And into May" is the first verse of "Song of Summer." Spring flowers, a loving mother and baby mouse, and a young fox and curious rabbit eyeing each other across the pages are some of the vignettes that grace this appealing book. A variety of sizes of paintings, ranging from a single animal on a crisp, white background to full-color, double-spread scenes, accents the verses. Onomatopoeic and motion words are reflected in the pictures with their ground-level perspective. These five beautifully and newly illustrated poems will enchant another generation of children. Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI