Too Many Carrots
Written & Illustrated by Katy Hudson
Capstone    2/1/2016
978-1-62370-638-8
32 pages    Ages 3—5

“Rabbit loves carrots. In fact, he loves them so much that they are crowing him out of his cozy burrow. When his friends offer help, Rabbit happily accepts. But will too many carrots cause too much trouble for Rabbit and his friends?” [back cover]

Review
Rabbit is a carrot connoisseur. He collects them faster than he can eat them. Soon his burrow is overflowing with carrots and Rabbit can no longer fit into his home. Where will he sleep? Rabbit’s friend comes to the rescue. Turtle’s home, which he carries on his back, turns out to be too small for both Turtle and Rabbit—and more carrots. An accident occurs and now Rabbit and Turtle have nowhere to sleep. Rabbit and Turtle go to a mutual friend, but another accident occurs and now Rabbit and two friends have nowhere to sleep. Circumstances repeat until Rabbit and all four of his friends are homeless.

Too Many Carrots reminds me of those hoarding shows where the hoarder keeps so much that their home becomes a catastrophe. Rabbit’s infatuation with carrots—some may call greed—becomes his source of trouble. Friends help, though somewhat reluctantly, especially since Rabbit continues to collect carrots and those carrots continue to cause “accidents.” In the end, Rabbit must help himself and now his friends. In an unselfish move, he does just that.

Too Many Carrots shows the strains of taking advantage of friends, as Rabbit does when he continues collecting carrots, now in his friends’ homes. When all are homeless, I expected them to turn on Rabbit, but they did not. All five trudge to the only home not outwardly damaged: Rabbit’s burrow. Rabbit cooks up his carrots (carrot cake, soup, juice, and more), allowing all five animals into the burrow, where they feast and mend any grief. I see Too Many Carrots as both a cautionary tale of greed and a lovely tale of friendship. Rabbit becomes aware of his selfishness, learns to share, and solves his carrot problem.

Too Many Carrots is a spectacularly illustrated picture book. From the moment I saw the cover, I loved it. The bright, funny mound of carrots caught my eye, making me curious. The interior illustrations are full of humor and heart, carrots and catastrophe, and fun, lots of fun. Too Many Carrots is truly a delightful book kids will enjoy over and over again.

TOO MANY CARROTS. Text and illustrations copyright © 2016 by Katy Hudson. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Capstone Young Readers, North Mankato, MN.

Pre-Order (releases Feb.1) Too Many Carrots at Amazon—Book Depository—IndieBound Books—AppleBooks—Capstone.

Find Too Many Carrots on Goodreads HERE.

Meet the author / illustrator, Katy Hudson at her website:  http://www.katyhudson.co.uk/
Follow Kay Hudson on Twitter       @katyhuds
Find more picture books at the Capstone website:  http://www.capstonepub.com/
Follow Capstone YR on Twitter     @CapstoneYR

Also by Katy Hudson
Bear and Duck  (DEBUT)
Animal Teachers (author: Janet Halfmann)
Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever! (author: Dawn Casey)

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TOO MANY CARROTS. Illustrations © 2016 by Katy Hudson. Used by permission of Capstone.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Full Disclosure: Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson, and received from Capstone, is in exchange NOT for a positive review, but for an HONEST review. The opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”