Floppy/Llip

Bold, painterly illustrations interpret this picture book story well. Floppy is different from all the other rabbits because one of his ears flops down. All his attempts at keeping it straight (such as tying a balloon to it) keep his peers amused but his ear is still floppy. In the end he comes to accept that is just how he is and that it is not his ear but the funny things he does that make the other rabbits laugh. As a dual text, this Welsh/English one is a little disappointing; firstly because of the inconsistent manner in which the two texts are placed on each spread, and secondly, because the choice of two differently sized fonts sits uneasily on the page. Presumably this has been done to help distinguish between the two roman scripts, but apart from the fact that it does not then give them both equal weight, it does not look pleasing to the eye. It is to be hoped that the versions in non-roman scripts strive for parity more successfully as this is a pleasing book to add to early years shelves.