Rabbit and Bear: This Lake is Fake!: Book 6

By Author / Illustrator

Jim Field, Julian Gough

Genre

Friends and family

Age range(s)

Publisher

Hachette Children's Group

ISBN

9781444947571

Format

Hardback

Published

14-03-2024

Synopsis

Gorgeously illustrated and with a classic feel, this is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit and a bear ... and how friends can accept that the world isn't always perfect. Ideal for readers moving on from picture books.

Rabbit is fed up. Spring has finally arrived, but it's not as perfect as he hoped it would be. Bear thinks that if they work hard, they can improve things, a bit. But Rabbit has a MUCH better plan. He sets off across the lake in search of a Perfect World ...

Meet Rabbit and Bear in the classic series that has taken the world by storm: this is a story of hope, friendship, a very long journey with no breakfast, and an entire island made of ... of ... wait ... is that chocolate? It looks like chocolate ...

'Rabbit's Bad Habits is a breath of fresh air in children's fiction, a laugh-out-loud story of rabbit and wolf and bear, of avalanches and snowmen. The sort of story that makes you want to send your children to bed early, so you can read it to them.' Neil Gaiman

Read all the Rabbit and Bear books:
1. Rabbit's Bad Habits; 2. The Pest in the Nest; 3. Attack of the Snack; 4. A Bite in the Night; 5. A Bad King is a Sad Thing; 6. This Lake is Fake!

Reviews

Having been snowed in for weeks, Rabbit is looking forward to Spring. However, when it arrives, it is not as perfect as he imagined it would be. Bear suggests that if they do a little every day, they can soon have everything tidied up, but Rabbit is not interested in this plan. Instead, he sets off in search of his Perfect Vision of how things should be. However, when the island he finds turns out not to be made of chocolate, but something less pleasant, Rabbit realises that the real world might not be perfect, but it’s pretty close!

Rabbit and Bear: This Lake is Fake! is the sixth adventure for best friends, Rabbit and Bear, and it is just as poo-filled and big-hearted as all the others! Rabbit is still as impulsive as ever, quick to act and perhaps a little slow to think whilst Bear remains constant and supportive. In his quest for perfection, Rabbit ignores all the joys of the world he lives in - his friends, the beauty of nature, Bear’s singing - and pursues his unrealistic dream. When reality hits and he finds his vision of perfection to be nothing but an island of bird poo, he is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and inadequacy, claiming he is a failure and that his life is over. Once again, it takes Bear's steady, calming voice of reason to help him see that he needs to take one step at a time towards better things rather than expecting instant gratification and perfection!

There is so much truth in these modern fables and many of us will see elements of Rabbit in ourselves! Poo-centric books are not usually my thing, but these books are an exception to this rule and it is amazing how much information about the subject is contained in the Rabbit and Bear books. According to a note at the end of the story, guano islands really do exist - and a quick search on Google proves this to be true. I wonder where this topic will lead them next!

Full of gorgeous illustrations which add so much life and personality to the characters, This Lake is Fake! is sure to be every bit as popular as the previous stories in this series - and I hope there will be many more to come. Everyone needs a little Rabbit and Bear style wisdom!

112 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher