Brave Squish Rabbit, written and illustrated by Katherine Battersby. Viking, Penguin. 2012. $13.99 ages 2 and up

"Squish was scared of many things.
Like storms.
And chickens.
And especially the dark.
The dark was so big,
it was everywhere.
Squish tried to hide from
the dark."


This second story of Squish has been on my buying list since I read his first one. When we first met, we knew Squish to be a lonely little rabbit who was virtually unnoticed because of his size and quiet demeanor. When we finished reading his story, we knew that he had reached a milestone in his short life. He had a new friend and we left him knowing he was no longer so lonely.

In this new tale, we are told that Squish has some real fears, and he finds them difficult to overcome.
He is terrified of storms, chickens and the dark. As we explore the pages we realize that those fears are very real, and cause him great anxiety. If he had to choose one overriding fear it would be the dark, and he does his best to avoid it. No matter what he does, the dark follows him.

Only when he is playing with his new friend Twitch, is Squish able to control his fears; perhaps, he even forgets about them for a short while. Twitch eases the anxiety and when she is around, Squish is happy. But, one day, when Squish arrives at their planned meeting place, Twitch is not there. She has left a note which Squish cannot read.

As time passes and darkness becomes...well, darker, Squish starts worrying about Twitch and forgets momentarily about himself:

"Squish worried Twitch was trapped
                ...in the dark
                   ...in a storm
                      ...with a chicken."

What is a friend to do?

Squish and Twitch remain their cuddly selves, created with thick black outlines and full of expression. Adding to the artistic appeal, Katherine Battersby uses lovely collage bits such as gold foil, feathers, textured paper and plaid fabric to bring her characters and the tale she tells to brilliant life for her readers. The captured, and then released, fireflies add a gentle light in the darkness and a beacon that helps Squish deal with dilemma he finds himself facing.

Humor mixed with angst proves the perfect combination of response to this warm and most welcome new tale of a lovable and by now, familiar character. Can't wait for more!