Eric Seltzer

Who's got a problem?
Anyone need a rescue?
If you've got so much as a thorn in your paw or itch that can't be scratched, they are down for the job...for they are THE RESCUE RABBITS! This foursome of furry, cotton-tailed wonders are ready and willing to take on whatever task needs doing, and they've got the knowledge, the technology, and the heart to make it work. Honestly, they remind me of a much calmer version of a particular quartet of turtles...with perhaps less ninja skills, sewer lairs, and pizza consumption, but I digress.

One day, they are called in for a job beyond all jobs, involving a Prince, a tree, and some unfortunate consequences of particular actions taken by same said prince. *ahem* Anywho...when the task seems insurmountable, can THE RESCUE RABBITS pull out all the stops to get their man...err, I mean, rhino? Or will he be up a tree for good!? Guess you'll have to adventure between the pages to find out, but let me say this...it's not just a story about super problem fixing bunnies. It's a tale about helping others, working together, and utilizing your resources...including calling for reinforcements when necessary!

A great story for the kiddos at story time, or even as they adventure into dreamland...



**copy received for review; opinions are my own… (meer)

Seltzer, author of the popular and silly easy readers Sea cows, Space cows, and Party pigs, pairs up with a new collaborator for an even sillier story of rabbits rescuing animals in peril.
Ace, Chip, Dot, and Spot are the rescue rabbits. They are brown, yellow, white, and blue and wear clothes in a variety of styles and hues - but they all have a red and white rescue vest on! Readers are invited to join them in a day of rescues, from an elephant with a splinter to a kangaroo with a rash. But then they have their biggest rescue yet - the royal rhino family!

Prince Rhino Rex has got some serious troubles. He's got ants in his pants, chopsticks in his nose, and he's trapped in a tree! The Rescue Rabbits, having just arrived home to their rescue rabbit headquarters (the buildings have, of course, ears) are on the case. It takes some last-minute repairs to the helicopter, an emergency lift for the rhino queen, and lots of hard work before they are able to save the prince!

Garrigue's art varies from spot art with speech bubbles, to complete spreads showing wild antics like lifting an elephant with a bulldozer or searching the jungle for an animal in trouble. The animals tend to have large and very dark eyes, with bright, contrasting colors in clothes and landscape. Prince Rhino is a lumpy, grumpy, fussy child, while the queen bursts out of her dress, the helicopter, and the page. The bunnies' faces have little expression, maintaining a cheerfully bland smile for each throughout the story.

The pages are busy with words and pictures, showing action sequences, jungle scenes, and speech bubbles, with highlighted words in red, like the Rescue Rabbits Super-Truck Z100. A lumpy yellow snake wanders through the scenery, antlers and horns twist across the landscape, and fluffy clouds drift across the sky.

Verdict: This is a little long for a storytime and the detailed illustrations will be difficult in this age of virtual storytimes, but it's a fun choice for one-on-one reading or kids who enjoy perusing picture books on their own. For storytime I'd prefer Dormer's Firefighter Duckies, but this is an amusing addition, especially for readers who like silly stories.

ISBN: 9781542042635; Published November 2020 by Two Lions; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library… (meer)

Another goofy easy reader from Seltzer takes a new group of farm animals on another trip - this time under the sea. This group of fluffy sheep, in brisk, bouncing rhythm, spend all day under the water. They encounter a space cow from a previous story, in a black and white spotted submarine, and plenty of undersea creatures.

After a long day of treasure-hunting, diving, reading, and playing, they climb out onto the beach, dry themselves in the sun, and sit together watching the sun set, happy and tired sea sheep.

Disbury's illustrations are a nice fit for Seltzer's light and humorous rhymes. He shows sheep with lots of curly, bulging wool falling afoul of octopuses, snorkeling, running into fish, and bobbing about in the water.

Verdict: This is a nice, easy, beginning level title. It's a step up from a pre-reader, but fits readers who are focusing on Biscuit and Elephant and Piggie. While not wildly popular - I might have a few kids asking for "the funny animals" - this is still an excellent title. It doesn't have the name recognition of Fly Guy or Elephant and Piggie, but kids at this stage of reading need a lot of simple but enjoyable texts and this fits the bill. A strong addition to your easy reader collection or classroom library.

ISBN: 9781534461345; Published January 2020 by Simon Spotlight; Purchased for the library… (meer)