Hattie Rabbit

Hattie Rabbit

by Dick Gackenbach

Two stories about Hattie Rabbit who has a tendency to overlook possible consequences of her actions.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Dick Gackenbach, the illustrator of all the Adam Joshua Capers, is also the author-illustrator of more than a score of books of his own. Mr. Gackenbach lives in Washington Depot, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Scott Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two adorable stories with simple lessons for children and delightful illustrations.

Hattie learns via her own imagination that maybe it's not best if she gets everything she wishes for.

Then comes a childlike scam, with repentance and restitution.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second story tells kids how to buy friends.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hattie Rabbit stars in two stories in this Early I Can Read Book from author/illustrator Dick Gackenbach, learning a few lessons along the way. In Wishes for Hattie, our leporine heroine wishes her mother had all kinds of physical features—the feet of a chicken, the neck of a giraffe, the trunk of an elephant—but eventually concludes her own mother is best, just as she is. In Open for Business, Hattie scams all of her friends for money, winding up with 25 cents but no more friends. Deciding to make restitution, she buys everyone some peanut brittle...

The first of five early readers to feature Hattie and her friends and family, Hattie Rabbit was published in 1976, and features two winsome tales, each of which teaches a simple lesson with minimal fanfare. Hattie discovers that what we wish for in the moment might not be the best things for us, and that those around us don't need to be dramatically altered to have value in the first story; while in the second story she learns that scamming others out of money might result in short-term gain, but that having money doesn't lead to happiness. I found the narrative here engaging and amusing, and I appreciated the somewhat cartoon-like illustrations, with the limited brown and blue color washes. Recommended to anyone seeking beginning readers with fun stories and a message.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Small reader book with two stories about the titular Hattie Rabbie.

In Wishes For Hattie the protagonist of the book is amazed by all the adaptations that her friends' mothers show and in the moment wishes her own mother could be just as adapted with cool features just like them. But if her mom was like those other moms would she also have to live with things that she may not like?

Open For Business explores a rather shrewd Hattie Rabbit as she sets out to make money for the cost. Cheating her friends out of their monies she then has to learn is being financially successful really worth it when you don't have any friends?

Easy-to-read these are small stories that provide nice morals to children and even shorter stories for entertainment.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second story does *not* tell children how to buy friends. It tells how to show, with more than words, that one is sorry for the pranks one played. I wonder if your child could find other ways that Hattie could have gotten her friends back? I bet so!

Illustrations *very* dated, but stories funny and still relevant. I'm sure this is the childhood favorite of many of you. My younger self would have enjoyed it.

[Monica Loftus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two cute stories that teach the lessons of loving your mom and being a good friend

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hattie Rabbit wishes that her mother had some of the qualities that her friend's mothers had; that is until she gave it some thought. Hattie tricks her friends out of their money, but soon discovers what's more important.