“Throughout time the art of storytelling as a means of describing the natural phenomena and the mysteries of the world can be found in fables, tales, related dreams, and stories passed on from generation to generation. From Aesop’s fables to legends uttered by firelight these stories help us to explain the inexplicable. And it is in this vein that THE YAWNING RABBIT RIVER CHRONICLE succeeds. 

This beautifully designed and written and illustrated book is the result of the collaboration of nurse/teacher/therapist/writer Janine Layton Kimmel and author/illustrator, Italian artist David Ceccarelli whose art borders on the surreal – most appropriate to this story: together they have presented the young reader (the book is directed toward the ages 10 – 14 years) with a richly detailed colorful fantasy that speaks not only to an adventure to read but also to the current global problems of climate control and environmental changes. It does not preach, it simply tells a story of natural means that gives the seed for greater thoughts to the youthful reader – and to the adults who will take the time to enjoy this book also.

Part of the joy of this book is the fact that it is in three parts: Part I – The Rabbit Thief, Part II (many years later) The Big House, and Part III (twenty years later)- Nub and Nil and the Yawning Rabbit River. This is a very clever way to begin with a fable and then develop it the way fables metamorphose with time. Roughly it follows this line of story: a rabbit thief named Sean wishes to race the beautiful river goddess, Violet, to restore the Yawning River back to the slowly dying, deprived forest where he lives with his fellow forest creatures. Sean sets off on his journey to meet a deer who transforms as night falls into the River Goddess, a couple of pine heads, an unusual and magical coin-headed boy, a brave boy and girl who know more than you might think, a dapper rat with a heart of gold all of whom battle curses, ghostly demons, monsters, and other strange creatures to bring life and safety to the river they love. The story is a chronicle of the plight of the river and the animal and human heroes that fight to restore normalcy to a world gone awry.

Each Part enhances the next as the mysteries deepen and become more complex. Throughout the book the brilliant illustrations by David Ceccarelli more than make the tale more involving and for youngsters these drawings will become favorites as the book weaves its way to the end. This is a very well conceived and executed fable, and likely will be in line for awards.”