Monday, December 13, 2010

Rabbit's Gift

Rabbit's Gift is based on a Chinese folktale and is retold by George Shannon.  The book opens with, "Rabbit twitched his nose int he cold, damp air.  Time to find food.  More snow was coming.  Coming soon."  If you live here in the Midwest you've spent the past 24 hours watching more and more snow come.  Our first snow fall for the season and I'm hoping it will make some students wonder about the animals that live in our neighborhood.  In this folktale Rabbit goes looking for food, finding two turnips.  When we gets home he realizes two turnips is a too much for him and thinks about donkey being alone and wondering if she has enough food to eat.  Rabbit takes the turnip to donkey and leaves it by the door because no one is home.  Donkey comes home with a potato and is worried how hungry goat might be so she takes the turnip to goat.  Goat isn't home so donkey lives the turnip at her door.  This continues with goat taking it to deer and deer taking it to rabbit.  I love how the animals realize they have enough for themselves and think about others.  The turnip does get eaten in the end but you've got to read the book to find out how and why.  An important message about being together, for a community. 

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