Newbie is a Rescue Bunny trainee. She has passed the Physical Fitness Test. She has passed the Emergency Rescue Roping Test. She has even passed the Blind Taste Test. Now it's time for the toughest Rescue Bunny test of all . . . the Field Test! It involves a scared giraffe in a sinking mudhole, some hungry hyenas, and dance moves that sneak up on you. Will Newbie have what it takes? The right stuff? Can she handle the truth? One thing is for sure . . . she will have you at hello . PreS-Gr 2–In her field-test trial, Newbie joins the rest of her big-booted rescue team in trying to extract a young giraffe from a pool of muck on a savanna. Nothing works. Complicating the rescue and threatening a "Code Red" (abandon rescue and victim) is an incoming band of evil-looking hyenas. When Newbie realizes that the giraffe she is comforting will be at the mercy of the ravening pack, she ties herself onto its neck and the other team members use the rhythm of the "bunny hop" to pull the leggy creature free. The plot meanders lazily and illogically from a behind-the-scenes look at Newbie's training, to the bumbling rescue attempts, to a somewhat longish section of indecision while the hyenas gallop in as the bunnies burble and chat. Scattered throughout the text, apropos of nothing, are quotes from movies that will mostly soar over the heads of young listeners. The full-color art uses minimalist backgrounds and simple shapes to focus readers' eyes on the action. Libraries looking for books on community helpers or rescue teams may enjoy seeing these bunnies in action, but this effort is additional at best. Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. The aptly named Newbie is a rescue bunny in training. Under the tutelage of her grizzled superiors, she has aced all prerequisites but one: the dreaded Field Test. One day, the alarm blares: a giraffe is in trouble! It’s an adorable leap of kid logic (of course bunnies rescue giraffes) that ends with the crew freeing a giraffe from mud before hyenas descend. Menchin’s cartoon art is as sharply lined and colorful as they come, and he makes fine use of the infinite African horizon. His bunnies look hilariously grave as they rush around in safety helmets; the most amusing moment comes when the junior member grits her teeth in grim determination: “Newbie pulls herself together.” Cronin’s story feels like an actual story, complete with mini plot arcs, fast parts, slow parts, and character development—a nice change from the fast dash of most picture books. At least two bits are confusing (it’s initially unclear how the giraffe is stuck, and there’s no telling why the hyenas ultimately retreat). But, like Newbie, this off-kilter, unpredictable book emerges victorious. Preschool-Grade 1. --Daniel Kraus “Cronin’s story feels like an actual story, complete with mini plot arcs, fast parts, slow parts, and character development―a nice change from the fast dash of most picture books.” - Booklist “Cronin and Menchin team up again to bring slapstick humor, impeccable timing, and cheesy movie quotes to this rousing tale of bravery, determination, and knowing when to do the Bunny Hop.” - The Horn Book “Cronin and Menchin (Stretch, 2009, etc.) team up once again in this humorous tale that oddly-yet quite successfully-combines the message of perseverance, the importance of rescue workers and sly nods to adult readers along the way.” - Kirkus Reviews Newbie is a Rescue Bunny trainee. She has passed the Physical Fitness Test. She has passed the Emergency Rescue Roping Test. She has even passed the Blind Taste Test. Now it's time for the toughest Rescue Bunny test of all . . . the Field Test! It involves a scared giraffe in a sinking mudhole, some hungry hyenas, and dance moves that sneak up on you. Will Newbie have what it takes? The right stuff? Can she handle the truth? One thing is for sure . . . she will have you at hello . Doreen Cronin is the New York Times bestselling author of Diary of a Worm , Diary of a Spider , and Diary of a Fly as well as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type , a Caldecott Honor Book, and Giggle, Giggle, Quack . She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and their daughters. Scott Menchin is the author and illustrator of the Christopher Award-winning Taking a Bath with the Dog as well as the illustrator of four books with Doreen Cronin, rescue bunnies, Wiggle , Bounce , and Stretch . His work has appeared in the New York Times and Time magazine. He lives with his family in New York City.