Mother Rabbit's Son Tom

This book for early readers features Mother Rabbit and her son Tom. Father rabbit and a host of other animals put in an appearance here and there too. Tom is a rabbit who likes hamburgers. When Mother asks him if he'd like to eat the tender dandelions, he replies that he wants a hamburger with pickles, onions and ketchup on a poppy seed roll. In fact everytime Mom or Dad asks him what he wants, that is his reply, until one day Father Rabbit tells Mother Rabbit that he wouldn't be surprised if Tom turned into a hamburger. Tom hearing this, gets a giant roll and hides it under his covers, so that when his parents discover it, they'll think he turned into what he loves to eat. They, of course, play along. The second story is just as delightful. The words are easy and my almost three year old son understands the story. Plus, he really likes Mr. Gackenbach's fine illustrations. The really bring his story to life. This is "An Early I Can Read Book" and judging by the way my toddler loves these books, he really will be reading early, way early.

This is one book I loved reading to my children, over and over. I laughed out loud each time. There are two separate stories in the book. In "Hamburgers, Hamburgers" Tom turns his little furry nose up at Mother's suggestion that spring is the time to eat dandelions. He wants a hamburger "with onions and ketchup and pickles on a poppy-seed roll." Mother Rabbit wishes she had a nickel for every pickle Tom eats, and says his head is full of ketchup. I can't help myself; I giggle. It's an adorable story with an ending your kids will love. In "Tom's Pet" our friend Tom tries to bring home several different pets, only to be told by Mother that he cannot keep them. Cute ending to this one, too.

I grew up making my grandmother read this book to me over and over again. Tom's desire for a hamburger with "onions and ketchup and pickles on a poppy-seed roll" is equal to many desires of all children.