The Rabbit's Gift by Vitalis

What makes a hero or a villain? Can someone be both—or neither? When the delicate balance between the people of a small country and the mythic rabbits of age-old lore is broken, putting everyone at risk, a young rabbit and a young girl must overcome their prejudices and learn to trust each other. This vivid and inventive novel from the acclaimed author of The Wolf’s Curse will captivate fans of Orphan Island and Scary Stories for Young Foxes. 

Quincy Rabbit and his warren live a simple yet high-stakes life. In exchange for the purple carrots they need to survive, they farm and deliver Chou de vie (cabbage-like plants that grow human babies inside) to the human citizens of Montpeyroux. But lately, because of those selfish humans, there haven’t been enough carrots to go around. So Quincy sets out to change that—all he needs are some carrot seeds. He’ll be a hero.

Fleurine sees things a little differently. As the only child of the Grand Lumière, she’s being groomed to follow in her mother’s political footsteps—no matter how much Fleurine longs to be a botanist instead. Convinced that having a sibling will shift her mother’s attention, Fleurine tries to grow purple carrots, hoping to make a trade with the rabbits. But purple carrots are getting more and more difficult to farm. And then a sneaky rabbit steals her seeds. In her desperation to get them back, she follows that rabbit all the way to the secret warren—and steals a Chou.

Quincy and Fleurine have endangered not just the one baby inside the Chou, but the future of Montpeyroux itself—for rabbits and humans alike. Now, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other to restore the balance.

Told from both Quincy’s and Fleurine’s perspectives, Jessica Vitalis’s sophomore novel is an original take on stork mythology, inspired by French folklore. The Rabbit’s Gift blends STEM themes with magic to craft a thought-provoking story about responsibility, traditions, family, co-dependence, and trust. It will enchant fans of Katherine Applegate, Gail Carson Levine, and Anne Ursu.