Tale of Martha B. Rabbit

Martha B. Rabbit

by Shirley Barber

When robbers steal all her food, Martha B. Rabbit must leave home to find a job ... or go hungry. She makes many new friends along the way in this enchanting fairy tale.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Animals, Friendship, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Shirley Barber grew up in the Channel Islands, where she gained her lifelong love of nature and painting. A third generation artist, she always dreamed of writing and illustrating children's books. But this dream did not come true until she had moved to Australia and her children had grown up.

Her first picture book Martha B. Rabbit - The Fairies' Cook was published by The Five Mile Press in 1988, and became an instant success. The following year it won first prize in the prestigious Critica Erba awards at the Bologna Children's Fair - an extraordinary achievemnt for a first book.

To date, Shirely Barber books have sold in ecess of 10 million copies. They have been published in over 70 international editions in North America, Europe and Asia. Shirley's best-selling fairy title in Australia is The Tooth Fairy closely followed by The Enchanted Woods and Rainbow Magic. Shirley lives quiety in rural Victoria and continues to write and illustrate delightful storybooks enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Reviews

[Catherine⁷]

I FOUND IT. I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR WHAT THIS BOOK WAS CALLED AND I FINALLY HAVE IT.
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. The illustrations are so cozy and cute. There's also an audio CD which I loved to listen to while my mom drove me around. My nostalgic cottage-core and autumn-loving heart is very happy right now.

[J.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely one of my kids' favorite books. The stories are creative and fun, but it's the excellent artwork that really sets this book above others. The pictures are richly colorful and highly detailed with plenty to look at and entertain even the most fidgety child while you read the text.

Martha B. Rabbit and Tabitha Cat live in an apple tree house in the forest. In the first story, "The Unexpected Guests," Martha perceives that the coming winter will be an especially cold one. So they proceed to prepare and store away as much as possible, including organizing a nut gathering and berry-picking picnic among the neighborhood, and end up helping a herd of deer through the long and cold winter. The second story, "Daphne the Forgetful Duck" concerns a neighboring duck with a terrible memory and a large brood of ducklings that she has a hard time managing. Although Martha and Tabitha offer to watch the ducklings while Daphne goes to market, Daphne forgets and leaves them at home. The third story, and unquestionably my 5 year-old daughter's favorite, is "Those Wicked Rats Again." Blackie, Brownie, and Spotto are three rats who continually scheme to steal food from Martha as she walks home from work late at night. Their plots are clever but are always foiled by Tabitha, with very humorous pictures to go along. Highly recommended for young kids, although parents will probably have to read it to them for a while, as it's not exactly beginning vocabulary.

[Kala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live in the pages of this book. This book cradles me to sleep with its precious magic. It feels like home.

[MrsK Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha and Tabitha are discussing the fall colors outside of their apple-tree house. It is time to gather berries and nuts for those who will need food during the cold months. Not only will deer come to drink from the water hole, but many will stop by to get warm and cozy, as well as hear a story by the fire.

One sunny morning, Martha, Tabitha, and William Elf began preparing their streamside garden. Greetings were shared with Daphne and her six fluffy ducklings. Of course, six little ducklings can be a bit mischievous when at the local market.

Summer adventures lead into the fall and winter. The fairies' party is being planned until... the three wicked rats decide to steal the party food.

Gather around for this tale is to be told... How Martha and Tabby became so well known,
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/

[Clara Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Shirley Barber books and this one was a very special read. The illustrations of the forest, the animal friends and their homes are so exquisite, and I love seeing the natural surroundings in different seasons. I also love how Martha Rabbit models such kindness. She never sees anyone as truly bad and tries to help even the most rascally characters, such as the rats that tried to steal her bundle of food..when she finds out they are so hungry, she offers them some of the food freely. We all need more kindness in the world, and Martha Rabbit is such a good example of living with kindness toward all. A special set of stories.

[Isabell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot believe I only just remembered how fond I was of that book. Probably from this time on, if not sooner, I was enchanted with faeries. So beautiful!

Should I ever have children, I could not wait to read this to them.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha B. Rabbit, Tabitha Cat, great characters!! Gnomes, elves, tea parties in the forest. Saving up hay for winter, taking care of animals who don't have as much for winter. Very real themes, great characters, with the elements of fantasy perfectly molded around all of that; that is the magic of this series, which I've read is very popular in the UK.

[Manuel Alvarez]

The book was a way of showing kids what is right and wrong. In this story you had thieves that did not have a care of others survival. Martha realized that crying about her situation would not help and went out to find a job so she can survive through the brutal winter. She also found a friend that would keep the thieves away.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains stories about Martha, who lives in a cozy woodland cottage. Each story contains a moral and is beautifully illustrated. This is fun for young children as they follow Martha and her other Woodland friends on their escapades.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remembered that I loved this book as a kid and had to Google "rabbit throws party for fairies" to find the title. Saving it so I don't have to do that again lol!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork, adorable anthropomorphic animals, and wholesome little stories. What's not to love?