I’m a Hare, So There, written by Julie Rowan-Zoch, reviewd by Terry Wahrman

Summary:  What is the difference between a rabbit and a hare?  Hare will tell you.  Hare gets called a rabbit all too often and gets upset.  He rants about the differences between himself and a rabbit.  Hare tell us of other similar creatures who look alike but are different.  Along comes Coyote, who tries to catch Hare.  Coyote calls him a rabbit.  Hare doesn’t like being called a rabbit and punches Coyote in the nose.  Coyote flies to the ground and gets knocked out.  Hare calls out “I’m a HARE! So there, Jackal!”  Squirrel corrects him “Technically, that was a coyote!”

Straight Talk for Librarians:  The story explains the difference between a hare and a rabbit along with several other animals.  The violence and characters are similar to the 1950-1980s TV cartoons.  I ask myself does nostalgia make this book acceptable to so many on Amazon? 

There are better ways to handle situations when someone calls you something you are not.  Hare gets upset when called a rabbit.  Hare goes on a rant to explain differences between himself and a rabbit as well as other animals like turtle vs tortoise.  When caught by Coyote and called a rabbit, Hare punches Coyote in the nose and knocks him out, even though Coyote was chasing Hare.  This book would promote a great discussion of what not to do and how to better handle situations.