The Squirrel, the Hare and the Little Grey Rabbit

Tales of the Little Grey Rabbit #1

by Alison Uttley

Product Description Since publication of the first Little Grey Rabbit book in 1929, the series has become a classic of children's literature. The popularity of Alison Uttley's magical stories and Margaret Tempest's lively illustrations meant that generations of children grew up with Grey Rabbit, Squirrel, Hare, Moldy Warp and little Fuzzypeg. These lovely versions of favourite original titles will bring the world of Little Grey Rabbit to a new generation. The Squirrel, the Hare and the Little Grey Rabbit; How Little Grey Rabbit Got Back Her Tail; The Great Adventure of Hare; The Story of Fuzzypeg the Hedgehog. About the Author Alison Uttley, born in 1884 at Castle Top Farm in Derbyshire, took much inspiration from her love of the countryside. She wrote over 100 books, her most famous being the Little Grey Rabbit series, A Country Child and A Traveller in Time. Born in 1892, Margaret Tempest illustrated at least 31 of the Little Grey Rabbit books in her distinctive and memorable style. She also wrote and illustrated twenty books of her own in the 1940s and 1950s.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Classics

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

Alison Uttley (17 December 1884 – 7 May 1976), née Alice Jane Taylor, was a prolific British writer of over 100 books. She is now best known for her children's series about Little Grey Rabbit, and Sam Pig.

For more information, please see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_U...

http://www.answers.com/topic/alison-u...

Reviews

[Adzuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Allison Uttley’s stories especially Little Grey Rabbit whose character is compassionate, quick thinking and so lovely. I enjoy the cadence and movement in these stories. Gives one a feeling of reassurance and calm amidst the occasional dangers of foxes, weasels and farmers. I read these stories as a child and find comfort reading these now as an adult. Far from being a submissive rabbit, she comes across as a rabbit who is comfortable being herself and even when she is timid she learns to be braver. When her friends are threatened she is protective. She would be my choice for a wingman.

[Brenda Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered this little treasure in a charity shop in England. It’s a lovely tale & charmingly illustrated! I would love to find and read more of the squirrel, the hare and the little grey rabbit 🐇 my granddaughters were captivated

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uttley chides pride with its laziness and selfishness. Nice illustrations.

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 1 out of 5]

The little grey rabbit is obviously a classic, and well loved my many people... But I didn't like this book at all.

I found the Grey Rabbit to be too put-upon and submissive.

The story was pretty derivative - the environment was very Beatrix Potter and this particular story was essentially The Tale of Peter Rabbit, albeit longer and more complex. Even the climax was pretty much a copy of a famous fairy tale (I won't give away which!) - and really didn't tie up all the loose ends.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming little tail about a clever little rabit.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched first the YouTube animation of the story and then read the storybook on Open Library. The film did a great job of following the book's plot pretty closely, except for what happened to the weasel in the end. I guess the animators wanted to soften the ending for sensitive children. I enjoyed both, and I think this story is somewhat comparable to Potter's Peter Rabbit stories, or even "The Little Red Hen." The illustrations are adorable and appealing.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another series I had read to me when I was very young in England. The Little Grey Rabbit books were very much like the Peter Rabbit books. Written by ALison Uttley and illustrated by Margaret Tempest, they are almost impossible to find.
(I have six of the books hidden away, one for each of my children.)

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really shows hard work and friendship but also the weakness of the hubris’s of life. Beautifully drawn and very similar but more interesting in some ways to beatrix potters work.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awfully good, gosh can Uttley ever write, ably accompanied by Margaret Tempest's pretty little drawings, in that classic childrens' book style that always reminds me of Art Nouveau a bit. This was packed full of incident, more than I could have anticipated, and there were some lovely bits of whimsy as well (I particularly liked the rabbit's assumng that if carrot seed produces carrots, surely canary seed would produce canaries).

(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)

[Dorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful and delightful opening story to the 'Little Grey Rabbit' series of books. These appealing stories are full of warmth, charm and gentle humour and are often compared to the work of Beatrix Potter. Personally, I prefer the Little Grey Rabbit as they are elegantly written with natural and believable characters which captivate the imagination of young readers and those who are young at heart. In contrast, the work of Beatrix Potter (which I also love), feels arguably at times as if it was written to be read 'to' a child, rather than enjoyed 'by' a child themselves.

[Kathy Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these tales where there is a heroine that saves the day. A little grey rabbit, who take care of the hare and the squirrel, outwits the weasel but loses her tail to the owl who tells her where to get seeds to start a garden. I'd like to see if there are others in a series.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Squirrel, the Hare, and the Little Grey Rabbit all have a series of adventures with a weasel. A bit of trickery here saves them all.

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Grey Rabbit and her friends were childhood favourites.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story. Loved reading it. What a classic!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar in many ways to Beatrix Potter's books, except I found Alison Uttley's story so much more interesting and compelling.

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disjointed. Thought that the pages were stuck together.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little great rabbit is the bravest, but the others learned their lessons. I wish they hadn’t stolen to grow their crops. And ultimately, it’s an eye for an eye story.

[Kristal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little grey rabbit is so sacrificial to her companions! Thankfully they learn a lesson by the end of the book and they do indeed eventually live happily-ever-after

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read almost every one of the Little Grey Rabbit books as a child and was enchanted by them all. Margaret Tempest's illustrations were sublime and brought the world inhabited by Grey Rabbit, Squirrel, Hare, Moldy Warp, Fuzzypeg and the rest vividly to life for me. Loved them to pieces and still collect early editions now (and re-read them sometimes!)

[Lauren Farris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to love this story!

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit)]

My Aunt bought me the whole treasury as a kid and I still have it!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1929. I found this 1949, eleventh edition at my used bookstore. It is similar in look to Beatrix Potter’s stories, a sweet story that includes a life lesson. The Little Grey Rabbit is a worker, rises early and already has completed many tasks before The Hare and The Squirrel rise. When they do, it is nothing but grumping, about breakfast, why the milk is late, etc. It’s quite an adventurous day that the three have. It is a story that young children will love.