The Other Rabbit

by Maranke Rinck, Martijn van der Linden (Illustrator)

Overview

In a world where everyone has a counterpart, Rabbit is searching for the Other Rabbit. He flies through the air, walks across the land, travels across the sea but still he cannot find him. Finally, he learns that the Other Rabbit is on another island and that the dragon who lives there won't let him leave because he is afraid of being lonely. Rabbit comes up with the perfect solution and no one is lonely again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935954460
Publisher:	Lemniscaat USA
Publication date:	10/01/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Maranke Rinck studied music and dance in secondary school. She graduated in Interactive Skills and is a full-time author. Martijn and Maranke are married and have two children.

Martijn van der Linden graduated from the Willem de Kooning Acadamy in 2001, specializing in illustration. One of the most promising young picture book artists in the Netherlands, Martijn amazes time after time by constantly varying his style, from scraperboard technique to naturalistic paintings. Martijn and Maranke are married and have two children.

Editorial Reviews

08/31/2015
If someone asked David Lynch to create a story based on the game Memory, the result might be something like this picture book from the Dutch team of Rinck and van der Linden, who previously collaborated on I Feel a Foot! (2008). It opens with a Memory-esque scattering of blue squares: “Rabbit is looking for the other rabbit.” Instead he finds a red airplane and sets off to find his pair. “Where’s the other rabbit?” he asks a flock of blue birds that look like they’re on their way to becoming an Escher pattern. They don’t know, and after Rabbit’s plane crashes on an island, he meets a king, a red chicken, herds of animals, and a dragon, all of whom have their own identical matches. From one page to the next, there’s almost no telling what’s about to happen, and the somewhat opaque language doesn’t exactly help (“The fish carry some of the way. Until they find some other fish and all the fish swim off together”). All in all, it’s more doppelganger creepy than twin cute. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Rabbit has lost sight of his friend. Through a series of improbable events, Rabbit goes looking for his friend. He travels by plane, car, and boat. He asks everyone if they have seen the other rabbit. Rabbit lands on an island and meets a king who has another friend—of course who is a king. As his adventure continues, Rabbit meets lots of animals and children will see in the simple pictures that each animal is one of a pair. In the end Rabbit has to negotiate with a dragon and is finally united with the other rabbit and that’s a pair. The title of the book could have easily been called two by two, as each animal is a pair. A pattern of repetition follows the plotline, as Rabbit must find a solution at each turn. This seemingly simplistic journey is filled with unexpected adventure. Reviewer: Kathleen Ulrich; Ages 3 to 5.

Children's Literature - Kathleen Ulrich

12/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—This Dutch import puts a dreamlike twist on the children's card-matching game Memory, following a lone rabbit on a quest for its counterpart. References to the game are subtle: careful readers will note that many pairs of objects disappear from the narrative after matching up, and the first and last few pages show blue-edged square cards. In between, the rabbit's story meanders like a child's imaginings, from airplane rides to animal friends swimming in the sea. The text provides minimal explanation for the gently absurd events, such as birds flying to the sun and animals becoming "so happy that they want to have a party. Right now!" Simple, heavily outlined drawings set against abstracted, mostly white backgrounds have a sweet yet melancholy feel, somewhat reminiscent of Peter McCarty's work. VERDICT An odd book with engaging artwork, best suited for larger collections.—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-08-31
In search of his missing companion, a rabbit has to travel a long way and even face a dragon. Shifting from airplane to car and then to boat, Rabbit is accompanied on his weary quest by, in turn, a flock of birds, a human king, assorted animals from the royal menagerie, and a school of fish—but all are soon diverted by meetings with others of their own kinds. Still, the two rabbits (both male) are reunited in the end after the lonely dragon who had kidnapped one is fitted out with a companion of her own. Using a limited palette that reflects the narrative's spare prose, van der Linden places simply drawn and modeled figures against plain white or minimally detailed backgrounds. Identical in features and dress, the two kings hold hands as they "talk about kingly things." In a final scene infused with similar intimacy, even the airplane, the car, and the setting sun are paired off (the last with its reflection in the sea) as the animals dance or stroll in couples across an island beach. It's hard to imagine the child who will finish this book and not have questions, though they may range in many different directions. An idyllic picture, with a subtle bit of subtext for discussion if desired. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews