By Ole Risom
A quiet, gorgeous classic: Nicholas the bunny, in his red overalls, walks his readers through the whole turning year, one beautiful season at a time.
Nicholas is a bunny who lives in a hollow tree, and across a handful of pages he simply shows you his year. In spring he picks flowers and chases butterflies; in summer he watches the frogs and lies in the tall grass; in fall he sees the leaves come down; in winter he curls up in his tree and dreams of spring. That's the whole book — no problem, no rush, just a small bunny and the seasons, painted by Richard Scarry in soft, glowing color that has looked beautiful for sixty years.
It gives a one-year-old a gentle first tour of the whole year through one small, lovable bunny, with pictures calm and beautiful enough that a parent never minds the tenth reading. There's nothing to brace for at all — just seasons turning and a bunny at peace. It's the kind of quiet classic that ends up passed down, and it makes a lasting, grown-into first-birthday gift.