review
Little Rabbit is very cold, fortunately he can borrow Big Rabbit’s fur. Big Rabbit no longer has a jacket of his own and it is colder than he expected. Kip lends her feathers to Big Rabbit, Kip in turn gets the real cat fur coat from Cat. Cow lends her coat last and when she gets cold, she goes to the farmer’s wife. A sweet book by Rindert Kromhout about farm animals, different coats and helpfulness.
Content article
- Data from the book A jacket for Little Rabbit
- Netherlands Youth Institute
- About the writer, Rindert Kromhout
- About the illustrator, Sandra Klaassen
- The content of the book
- The text and illustrations
- Two excerpts from the book
- My opinion on A jacket for Little Rabbit
Data from the book A jacket for Little Rabbit
- Text: Rindert Kromhout
- Illustrations: Sandra Klaassen
- Issued by: Netherlands Youth Institute, Utrecht / Buro Extern BV, Alkmaar
- Published: 2015
- Number of pages: 25
- ISBN: 978 90 8830 216 9
- Type of story: staple story
- Suitable for: children from 4 years old
Netherlands Youth Institute
The description on the website of the Netherlands Youth Institute is: The Netherlands Youth Institute is the knowledge network organization for youth and education issues. It is about improving the quality of the youth sector and the education sector. Every child in the Netherlands must be able to grow up safely and healthily and receive the necessary support. In addition to knowledge and advice, the Netherlands Youth Institute also offers practical tools.
About the writer, Rindert Kromhout
Rindert Kromhout is born on August 9, 1958 in Rotterdam. Between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, he lives in children’s homes because his family was not doing well, but then he moved back in with his parents. During that time he wrote his first children’s stories (never published). Rindert does the evening meal, works in a pet shop and in a bookshop. He continues to write children’s stories and reads his stories to preschoolers at the kindergarten he used to attend. Rindert goes to a kindergarten teacher training (KLOS) and obtains his diploma. He will not work as a kindergarten teacher, but he can use his knowledge well for his children’s books. In 1978 Rindert’s first story is published (in Donald Duck). At the end of 1980 the first Rindert children’s books appeared, books for children who have just started reading. From May 1982 a writer has been his profession. In 2019 ‘And I was his hero’ was nominated for Best book for young people. Rindert did not win this prize.
About the illustrator, Sandra Klaassen
Sandra Klaassen was born in 1959 in Gendringen. As a child she wanted to make drawings for children’s books, but a ballet dancer was also an option. She was educated at the Royal Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch: Graphics and Visual Communication. Several years after she graduated, Sandra sent work to various children’s book publishers and this earned her some commissions. In 2020 Sandra is a well-known illustrator, she has provided dozens of books with illustrations. She uses pen and soft watercolors. The illustrations are described as fairytale and cheerful. Sandra is very interested in flora and fauna and is following courses in Edinburgh to learn botanical illustration.
The content of the book
Little Rabbit is cold. If he shivers from the cold, he can borrow the coat from Big Rabbit. Big Rabbit only realizes how cold it is when he no longer has his jacket. Fortunately there is Kip with her beautiful feathers. Kip, in turn, can borrow Cat’s coat. The borrowing goes on and on, because everyone who gives up his coat gets cold himself: Cat borrows from Goose, Goose from Dog, Dog from Pig, Pig from Sheep, Sheep from Donkey and Donkey from Cow. Cow is the largest animal on the farm and cannot borrow anything from anyone. Fortunately, the farmer knows the solution.
The text and illustrations
On the cover of the book you see a woman at an open door, outside are all kinds of animals that you see on a farm. The title (A jacket for Little Rabbit) is written above the illustration in large black letters. There is an illustration on almost every page. They are picturesque drawings with warm colors. The animals are very beautifully depicted, first with their own “coat”, then with the coat of another animal. It also produces funny and cute drawings. Each drawing has a line or eight text. The text goes well with the drawings. Sometimes a sentence is in a larger letter size. In the middle of the book a kind of viewing picture, different animals change their jacket. In the middle it says: “Just put on my coat”.
Two excerpts from the book
Fragment 1
What have I done now? thought Puss.
My gorgeous real cat fur coat!
Soon it will be winter and what should I do?
When I’m so cold I can’t catch mice.
And then the farmer sends me away.
And Cat walked to Gans, who is at the edge of the pond
sat vigilantly looking around for none
thieves were around.
??Goose??? said Cat. Are you cold ???
??No, it is not,?? said Gans.
I’m blissfully warm in my goose down dress.
How so???
Fragment 2
The farmer’s wife gave the jacket to Little Rabbit.
It fit the bill!
Now Little Rabbit had the coat off
Big Rabbit no longer needed.
He immediately returned it.
And Big Rabbit gave Chicken back her plumage.
And Kip gave Cat back her fur coat ??
My opinion on A jacket for Little Rabbit
It is a sweet and funny stack story in which many farm animals pass by. Children from the age of four will never get bored with this book. Beautiful illustrations of the animals (rabbit, chicken, cat, goose, dog, pig, sheep, donkey and cow). Children have a lot of imagination, an animal cannot take off its fur (jacket) in real life, but in this story it can. It produces funny text and comic drawings. Happy animals if they get fur from another animal, less happy animals if they notice that it is still cold without feathers or cloak. The ending is well chosen.