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My Friend Rabbit

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My Friend Rabbit
The front cover of the book My Friend Rabbit
AuthorEric Rohmann
IllustratorEric Rohmann
Cover artistEric Rohmann
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's picture book
PublisherRoaring Brook Press and Millbrook Press
Publication date
2002
Publication placeUnited States
Pages32 pages
ISBN978-1-59643-080-8
Preceded byThe Three Pigs 
Followed byThe Man Who Walked Between the Towers 

My Friend Rabbit is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann and first published in 2002. The illustrations in the book earned Rohmann the Caldecott Medal in 2003.[1] My Friend Rabbit was adapted into an animated television series in 2007.

Description

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My Friend Rabbit is a 32-page children's picture book, which follows the adventures of a mouse and a rabbit.

Rohmann used "thick-lined colored woodcuts" to illustrate his book.[2] The reader needs to turn the book sideways to look at one image properly, making "the climax [...] even more dramatic".[3] According to a reviewer in Booklist, the book's "[t]remendous physical humor delivers a gentle lesson about accepting friends as they are".[4]

Synopsis

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A mouse loans his new airplane to his best friend, Rabbit, resulting in a series of troublesome events. When the airplane gets stuck in a tree, Rabbit gathers a group of animals in an attempt to retrieve it. The plan goes awry and the animals fall, causing them to become angry with Rabbit. Despite this, Mouse remains loyal to his friend and demonstrates the true nature of friendship. In the end, Rabbit comes up with a new idea to retrieve the airplane, leading to further adventures.

Television series

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My Friend Rabbit
GenreAdventure
Animation
Comedy
Educational
Family
Directed byJason Groh
Voices ofPeter Oldring
Richard Binsley
Theme music composerJohn Welsman
Cherie Camp
Opening themeWe Can Do it Together by Cherie Camp
Ending themeWe Can Do it Together (Instrumental)
ComposerJohn Welsman
Country of originCanada
No. of series2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersEric Rohmann
Paul Robertson
Scott Dyer
Doug Murphy
ProducersLan Lamon
Jamie Piekarz
Animator9 Story Entertainment
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesNelvana Limited
Qubo
Original release
NetworkTreehouse TV
Qubo
ReleaseOctober 4, 2007 (2007-10-04) –
2008 (2008)

In the autumn of 2007, Nelvana produced an animated children's television show based on My Friend Rabbit.[5] The program was recognized with several awards, including the Pulcinella Award for Best Preschool TV Series in 2008 and the Alliance of Children's Television Award for Best Preschool Series in 2009. The show was also nominated for three Gemini Awards in categories that included Best Direction, Best Musical Scoring, and Best Screenwriting. The nominees were Jason Groh for Best Direction,[citation needed] John Welsman for Best Musical Scoring, and Steve Westren for Best Screenwriting. Ultimately, Steve Westren won the award.[6]

This show aired on Qubo (first on the programming blocks on NBC and Telemundo on October 4, 2007, and the network on October 6 and continued until July 25, 2020.[7]

Cast and characters

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  • Rabbit (voiced by Peter Oldring) is a kind and sharing rabbit who gets into all types of situations. He comes up with simple inventions (made out of simple things like leaves and branches) often to help a friend in need. He is fun-loving and enthusiastic.
  • Mouse (voiced by Richard Binsley) is a loving and sharing mouse who is Rabbit's sidekick and also gets into situations which fit him and Rabbit. He doesn't like water or swimming. He breaks the fourth wall in every episode.
  • Hazel (voiced by Denise Oliver) is an acorn-loving squirrel who tends to be very busy a lot. She is seen spending time dealing with her acorns. Similar to Mouse, she doesn't like swimming, or else she's a squirrel with a wet tail.
  • Thunder (voiced by Jeremy Harris) is a shy, quiet and obese rhinoceros who tends to be a bit "slower" than the others, but is cheerful and loves learning new things. His heart is as huge as he is. He is air-headed and clumsy, but he is very kindhearted and is friendly to everyone else.
  • Jasper (voiced by Milton Barnes) is a crocodile who loves fishing. When the others need help, they usually go to him. He seems to be the most mature and knows many things the others don't. When the others need to know something, they often go to him for sage advice.
  • Edweena (voiced by Stacey DePass) is an elephant who acts like everybody's big sister. Similar to Thunder, she is really nice and has a huge heart. She is a gentle giant who looks out for everyone.
  • The Gibble Goose Girls are a quartet of goslings that go and do everything together. Their names are Coral (voiced by Isabel de Carteret), Amber (voiced by Hannah Endicott-Douglas), Jade (voiced by Nissae Isen) and Pearl (voiced by Camden Angelis). They always stick together, and are rarely seen alone. They look, act, and even sound the same. They are inseparable. None of the girls can actually fly because they are too young.

References

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  1. ^ "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938 to present" (PDF). ala.org. Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023. 2003 Medal Winner: My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann (Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press)
  2. ^ "Kirkus Reviews: My Friend Rabbit". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media, LLC. May 19, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Hinckley, Kristie (2017). "My Friend Rabbit". Children's Book and Media Review. 38 (6). Brigham Young University. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Fletcher, Connie. "My Friend Rabbit By Eric Rohmann". Booklist. American Library Association. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Ball, Ryan (April 12, 2007). "Nelvana Hops to MIPTV with Rabbit". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "24th Annual Gemini Awards Full List of Nominations & Winners" (PDF). Archived on the Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ Ball, Ryan (August 9, 2007). "qubo Adds Rabbit for Fall". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
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Awards
Preceded by Caldecott Medal recipient
2003 		Succeeded by
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