The Best Place in the World by Petr Horáček (review)

Horáček, Petr The Best Place in the World; written and illus. by Petr Horáček. Candlewick, 2021 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536212853 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 2-5 yrs

Hare lives in a beautiful meadow, but he can't help wondering if there's a better place. When his friends the rabbits say the meadow is the best because "it's the place where we run and play together," Hare rejoins, "But surely we can run anywhere." He questions other animals with similar results and finally Owl tells him, "Why don't you explore the world and find out for yourself?" Hare roams the world and finds beautiful places, imagining his friends there, but then realizes he needs to head home to them, since they're what make a place the best. It's a sunny, not unexpected message for little ones but it may also provoke some interesting questions—what if you find new friends, for instance? Horáček's glorious art makes everything within it the best place; rough, luminous paint, soft colored pencil, and layered collage elements create a verdant, resplendent world, while there's a folksy John Burningham touch to Hare's comfortable bipedal poses. It's sufficiently enticing that viewers may think Hare had a pretty easy decision, and they may also consider their own best places.