Even after Davie had had the little black rabbit Shadrach for several weeks, it was still almost unbelievable. Every morning when Davie woke up it was a miracle all over again, there in his grandfather's barn across the village sat a little rabbit and it was his. Something breathing, nibbling, hopping, and it was his. It was a black rabbit, and the name Shadrach—just right for the little black rabbit—had been chosen with loving thought and care. It had a two-cent tail and a wriggly black nose, and in all the world, it was his!

This beautiful story of a boy and his very special pet is told with a childlike perception and a sensitive understanding of a child's emotions. From the joy that Davie has when the rabbit first arrives to his terrible consternation when the rabbit slips through the slats of his hutch and disappears, here are emotions that any child will recognize out of his own experiences. The beauty of Mr. DeJong's writing and the sensitively conceived and exquisitely executed pen and ink drawings by Maurice Sendak combine to make this a truly distinguished book.

From the dust jacket