A forlorn toy rabbit found in our premises graced our shelves for much of 2007, but thanks to Jan Scott his young owner was located in New Zealand, Mike and Christine from Russell Dean's escorted him home and the pair are now reunited. Celebratory carrot cake was consumed. See below!
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF RABBIT THE RABBIT
We've just heard that inspired by his literary time at The Book Case, Rabbit kindly took Elliott and the rest of the family to visit Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Samoa. Here are some pictures of Rabbit levitating above a 1st edition of "Kidnapped", wearing a Lay garland, hanging out on the beach and working on his tan!
POSTSCRIPT FROM NZ - Rabbit the Rabbit gave everyone another scare when he went AWOL again after arrival back home. He was finally found in the microwave of a Sleep Out at the end of the garden to Elliot's joy. And who knows how he got there? He obviously enjoys his adventures though! Jo comments: "I should have added that we have borrowed a phrase that Rabbit the Rabbit learned when he attended your Harry Potter midnight book launch, and will henceforth maintain constant vigilance over Elliot's selection of hiding places."
Rabbit at the Franz Josef Glacier, NZ Rabbit and Elliot before the adventure
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... but now he's glad to be home with Elliot
even though he got really famous and appeared in the Halifax Courier and Hebden Bridge Times as well as on poet John Siddique's website
Lovely e-mail from Elliott's mum:
Good evening/morning from Downunder
I spoke to Felicity on your Wednesday morning to say that we are the owners of the lost rabbit which I understand has been circulating sections of The Bookcase on an extensive educational tour. More precisely, the owner of Rabbit is our 4 year old son Elliot. Rabbit has been his great love and constant companion, and he was devastated to lose him. I imagine pure joy once they are re-united.
... We were visiting HB last April, when Rabbit disappeared. We thought we'd looked everywhere, but clearly not. .... In the end, we imagined Rabbit running free across the moors, but clearly it has been on more cerebral pursuits. ...
The photo [above] of Elliot cuddling Rabbit ... was taken at Bruce Bay (west coast of south island, NZ),. This photo has a link to The Bookcase through one of your featured local authors, Sue Lawty. It is where we created some stone drawings which Sue used to kick start her global beach project with the V&A. The [other] photo is of Rabbit at the Franz Josef Glacier (again south island NZ) and the final one [below] is one of our favourite photos of Elliot, taken on a boat in the Bay of Islands, North Island, NZ.
But most of all THANK YOU all for taking such very good care of our beloved Rabbit, for trying to find us, and for not being persuaded by would-be Viennese adopters. Please also thank John Siddique for the post on his blog.
Jo Collinge (and the whole Collinge Moore family: Stephen Moore, Isaac Collinge Moore and Elliot Collinge Moore).
 Mike with Elliot and Rabbit on the front verandah |
 Carrot cake is consumed |
 Isaac, Elliot and Jo with a full complement of rabbits (a Pokemon card rabbit, their real live rabbit Nibbles, two toy substitute rabbits, and Rabbit the Rabbit himself, snug in Elliot's arms). |
 Elliott and Rabbit! |