Fifteen Rabbits    by Felix Salten Order:  USA  Can Aladdin, 2015 (1979) Hardcover, Softcover, Paperback, e-Book     Reviewed by Jessica Maguire Hops is a darling 'little ball of gray wool.' A little woodland creature, Hops learns early on the difficulties of being a rabbit. He's the only surviving rabbit of all his brothers and sisters. Hops isn't lonely for long. Soon he befriends Plana, a sweet, yet naïve, little girl rabbit. The curious, carefree Plana complements the overly cautious and careful Hops. Together the pair navigates their first year in the forest and are soon joined by a new friend, Epi. The first year for the trio, and all the young rabbits, is a tough one. Sure, they have fun playing in the meadow, frolicking and hopping freely, and napping in the sun. But there are also many dangers lurking in the woods as well. There are predators to watch out for, the fox and birds of prey being quite volatile adversaries. And there is also the mysterious two legged creature, with his thunder (gun), preying on some animals such as the elk and fox, but not others. Little Epi falls victim to the strange, two legged animals, but is not killed. He is taken to be their pet, a concept a woodland rabbit knows nothing of. The adventures of Hops and Plana and the others, as well as Epi's separate adventure, are sure to delight readers aged eight to twelve. I must warn the reader that even though the talking animals are endearing and Bambi even makes an appearance, there is much sadness and death in the book as well, just as there is in the wild. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews