Song of the golden hare by Jackie Morris

I am a fan of Jackie Morris’ illustrations (The unwinding)  and the gilt title and beautiful drawing of a golden hare on the dust jacket drew me in as soon as I saw the book. A young boy and his sister belong to a family that is special. They must follow the hares and watch for the time when the old queen leaves and a new queen takes her place. They see the hares sing their song in a competition to become the new queen’s partner. And they must ensure that hunters do not capture the old queen before she can journey to the Island of the Golden Hares, where she will be safe.

The narrative is captivating as the reader follows the story, watching with the boy when the hares dance in the twilight and easily imagining the music that he loves. The wild race following the hares as they run towards the queen is suspenseful, with hunters and hounds pursuing them, hoping to obtain a golden hide. Readers will be holding their breath as they watch to see who will win the new queen and hope that the old queen gains safety. However, it was the illustrations that held me captive, and I found myself going back two or three times to closely look at them, finding further details on each examination. The hares are gorgeous with beautiful long ears. The memorable drawings of the family show the love that they have for each other and the hares. A close inspection shows tiny foxes, moths and owls in the landscape, while the hunter’s hounds are huge and fierce. The brown colouring of the hares is highlighted by pale yellow and blue backgrounds with curling tree trunks and minute animals.

Song of the golden hare is a keeper. Its stunning illustrations are timeless and will ensure that the book is handed down to the next generation.

Themes: Hares, Singing, Songs, Folklore.

Pat Pledger