Who's in Rabbit's House? is Leo and Diane Dillon's first book since they received the coveted Caldecott Medal for the second successive year—the first artists ever to do so. And once again the endlessly inventive Dillons have found a wonderfully fresh approach to the picture book.

In this humorous Masai tale Rabbit can't get into her house because The Long One, hiding inside, threatens to trample her just as he tramples elephants. Various unhelpful suggestions are offered by Rabbit's friends, but in the end the solution comes from an unexpected source.

The illustrations show the story presented in the form of a play performed before their fellow villagers by Masai actors wearing animal masks. The costumes, terrain, and jewelry are typical of the Masai: the masks are an artistic invention. They change expressions as the play progresses, showing anger, fear, merriment in a way that could only happen in the realm of fantasy. Young readers will be entranced by both the delightful story and the magic of the theater.

The team of the Dillons and Aardema has become well known in children's literature. They collaborated on the 1976 Caldecott Medal winner, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, and also on Behind the Back of the Mountain, a 1973 ALA Notable Book.

Leo and Diane Dillon's most recent book, the winner of the 1977 Caldecott Medal, is Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove. The Dillons are also the United States nominees for the 1978 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

From the dust jacket