123. The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow

The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow. Elaine Dimopoulous. Illustrated by Doug Salati. 2023. 181 pages. [Source: Library] [Animal Fantasy, Children's, Middle Grade]

First sentence: Everyone in Milkweed Meadow still talks about the rescue, and if you stop hopping around like a kit that's found a banana slice, I'll tell  you the story. Mother encourages strong beginnings. "Snare them!" she says. It's a joke--we rabbits are terrified of snares, me more than most. But I suppose that's what a good story does. It digs into your skin like a silver wire and holds you in its grasp. 

Premise/plot: Butternut, a timid, anxious rabbit, befriends Piper, a robin, and Winsome, a fawn. These three unlikely friends enjoy life to the fullest...but when they come across abandoned coyote pups, this friendship is threatened. Can these three friends help the little ones knowing that when they grow up, they will be prey?

My thoughts: My summary was unfair. Butternut is a WONDERFUL, AMAZING storyteller. She has a way with words. She knows how to HOOK or snare readers. She kept me turning pages. I, well, I went straight to the point. Something Butternut wouldn't approve. I loved this one so much. The writing was incredible. I loved each character's voice. I really felt there was substance and depth to this story. It was a compelling read. It has its intense moments. But it was lovely and delightful. 

Quote:

Now that this tale is well underway, you’re probably thinking that it’s going to be about my friendship with Piper. We meet on the lawn. He reports on his morning aerial excursions, I tell dinner stories, and around and around we go.
Mother would call that a boring second act.
Fortunately that’s not what’s coming next. Yes, the story is about Piper and the part we both played in the rescue. But our friendship includes someone else too. This means there’s another character for you to meet. And characters are like bananas: if they’re good, you can never have too many. I like to think that new characters represent new perspectives—and that their flaws remind us of our own.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews