Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door by Hilary McKay (review)

The irrepressible, animal-loving Lulu (from Lulu and the Dog from the Sea, BCCB 5/13) is back, and she’s got a new animal concern: George, the black and white rabbit belonging to the boy next door. Sullen Arthur, George’s owner, has just moved in, and he prefers his Xbox to the rabbit his grandfather gave him; Lulu, adoring owner of five rabbits, and her cousin Mellie watch in dismay as Arthur leaves George in his hutch all day and tends only his most basic needs. The girls concoct a cunning plan (letters and presents from one of Lulu’s rabbits to George) that encourages Arthur to coax George out of his shell and ends up bringing Arthur along with him. So far, McKay has impressively managed to maintain the animal focus while still giving each Lulu book its own individual plot, avoiding the rewarmed feeling of many series titles. Lulu and Mellie’s grappling with the problem of Arthur’s undernurturing is believable (fierce Mellie keeps wanting to lock him in a shed to see how he likes it), while Arthur’s dawning realization of how much he actually enjoys his pet makes him a sympathetic character who just needed a bit of redemption (“We’ve tamed him,” says Mellie triumphantly). The Lulu stories continue to hit that sweet spot: rich with interest and humor, tasty to read aloud, rewarding to read alone. Lamont’s friendly black and white art is equally proficient at exuberant kids and nose-twitching bunnies.