Please Don't Eat Me by Liz Climo (review)

"Aw, nuts." So says our rabbit protagonist after emerging from a long tunnel only to find a hungry bear. He's able to delay being eaten by ordering a pizza for the voracious big guy and then sharing dessert, but then Bear comes up with a slew of demands for Rabbit, all under the vague threat of making him a meal, until finally, the poor hare just serves himself up on a bed of lettuce to end the misery. Fortunately, Bear is actually looking more for a friend than a feast (and apparently believes pretending to eat your pal makes for fun times), and the two hug it out—although there's an ominous concluding note as Bear gets hungry again. Told entirely in speech bubbles, this irreverent tale refreshes the odd-couple animal-pal trope with delightfully deadpan humor: "So, can I have the last slice?" asks Rabbit, to which Bear responds, "Not unless you want me to eat you." Simply lined figures contribute to the offbeat tone, as Bear hits the right mix of cute and menacing with a pudgy belly and tiny but sharp-looking claws, while Rabbit's ears perfectly telegraph his fear, frustration, and eventual resignation. Echoes of child persistence and adult exasperation might ring familiar to grownup readers, but mostly this will earn plenty of giggles from fans of Jon Klassen and Lemony Snicket.