Flora's Blanket by Debi Gliori, Debi Gliori (Illustrator)

Publishers Weekly

As she showed in previous books such as Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep and No Matter What, Gliori excels at conveying a warm and supportive family. Here she knowledgeably explores a toddler's attachment to her security blanket. Without her beloved carrot-patterned blanket, Flora Bunny can't sleep. Her five siblings generously offer their own as substitutes, but she insists, "Want mine." An exhaustive search of the house and grounds yields nothing. So Mom and Dad let Flora snuggle up in their bed, where, lo and behold, her father discovers the missing item under his pillow. The loving perseverance of Flora's parents and brothers and sisters, as they amble and scramble around the house in search of the blanket, dominate the spreads. And the family dynamic (one sibling in striped pajamas reads a book throughout the search; torsos and feet show under tables or are draped over chairs) will hit the funny bones of and strike a chord of recognition with any toddler or older sibling. Ages 3-6. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Flora's blanket is lost and she cannot go to sleep. Her family tries to help out. First, they offer the use of any of their blankets. Won't do. Then they help her hunt for hers. They look in likely places such as the living room and the sandbox. Next they look in unlikely places, such as the fridge and the cellar. Finally, Mom and Dad take Flora into bed with them. Dad finds Flora's blanket in the one place they did not look. The care and concern of this loving family of rabbits is beautifully illustrated. Flora is an adorable, cuddly baby bunny. Her brothers and sisters are exuberant in their searching and her parents are tender and affectionate. An attractive book for sharing with young children. 2001, Orchard, $15.95. Ages 1 to 4. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer

School Library Journal

PreS-A charming book about an endearing rabbit family. Flora has lost her security blanket and can't sleep without it. Her five siblings offer up theirs, but she has to have her own. The family searches from the living room to the kitchen to the bathroom, and they inspect the sandbox and the cellar, but to no avail. Nearly asleep, Flora is finally allowed to snuggle in bed with her parents, and Dad finds the missing item under his pillow. The delicate, detailed watercolor illustrations portray a comfortable homeliness while Flora and her family wear expressions of concern, frustration, exhaustion, and relief. Like Flora's beloved blanket, the endpapers have a carrot-and-ladybug print on a white background. Excellent for bedtimes and as a read-aloud during toddler storytimes.-Christina F. Renaud, Attleboro Public Library, MA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

When a wee bunny misplaces her beloved blanket, the entire family bands together for a search-and-rescue mission. Little Flora can't sleep a wink without her special blanket. With offers of replacements from her siblings summarily refused by the disconsolate bunny, everyone embarks upon a house- and yard-wide search. As the regular spots fail to turn up the elusive bedding, they begin to look about in nonsensical locations, such as inside the refrigerator and in the greenhouse. Alas, the rabbit clan wanders over house, hill, and dale in vain. When the fruitless search is ultimately called off, Flora's blanket is discovered in the likeliest (but overlooked) place-tucked into mommy and daddy's bed. Gliori's (DK Book of Nursery Rhymes, p. 182, etc.) simple but comical tale has just the right blend of reality and silliness to tickle tiny funnybones. Preschoolers can empathize with Flora's predicament while giggling over the bunny family's increasingly outlandish search. Full-page, full-bleed watercolor illustrations depict an irresistibly cute clan of cuddly rabbits (including one who can't keep his nose out of a book). Little ones will enjoy the notion that the rabbits' house looks remarkably like their own, only with special bunny touches-a carrot-filled vase centerpiece, a rabbit-shaped sand box, a carrot handle on the fridge door, and more. Perfect for any tot who has misplaced a favored comfort object and the scores of beleaguered parents who have been sent out on countless wild-goose chases. (Picture book. 2-5)

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