Cress Watercress
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Cress Watercress is a wry, whimsical, imaginative tale by Wicked author Gregory Maguire about a rabbit family coming to terms with the father's death and adjusting to new living situations, neighbors, and dangers. Death is an ever present possibility, and always part of the story, as the family must kill moths to pay their rent or, in theory at least, be eaten by their landlord, an owl. Or maybe by the fox, Monsieur Renard, or the snake known as the Final Drainpipe. Meanwhile, a hen hears a farmer planning to eat her for Sunday dinner and flees to the woods, and a skunk has a habit of capturing and enslaving other creatures. Family, friendship, empathy, and community are strong themes as the title character, the big sister of the family, struggles with grief and the challenges of her new life. Also important: looking past your assumptions and prejudices as you learn more.
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What's the Story?
As CRESS WATERCRESS opens, the title character, a young rabbit, along with her mom and sickly baby brother, are preparing to leave their home forever for an uncertain future, as her father is probably dead. They soon find lodging at the Broken Arms, a big tree where the landlord, an owl, reserves the right to eat them if they don't give him enough dead moths in rent. The neighbors are quirky but often kind, and Cress soon has a good friend in Finny the squirrel. But the little family faces many dangers -- and surprises -- as they try to make a new life.
Is It Any Good?
Author Gregory Maguire spins a poignant, relatable, darkly funny tale of a rabbit family dealing with death, loss, change, and peril. Hero and title character Cress Watercress encounters many challenges and doesn't always do the right thing, especially when dealing with her own grief. But she learns from her experiences, helped along by a strong mom, a good friend, and a lot of animal characters who often aren't quite what first impressions would suggest. David Litchfield's plentiful, lively, full-color illustrations put the reader in the midst of it all -- darkness and light.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like Cress Watercress, in which animal characters deal with issues -- like loss, change, and bereavement -- more commonly associated with humans. Do you think putting animal characters in these situations makes the issues more relatable, or would you rather stick with human characters?
A character in Cress Watercress makes the unwelcome discovery that the people she thought of as loving caregivers were actually planning to kill and eat her. How would you feel if you found yourself in this situation, and what would you do about it? What other stories do you know where characters deal with this situation?
Have you ever met a new friend you liked so much that you started neglecting your old friends, and their feelings got hurt? What happened, and were you able to make things right?
Book Details
- Author: Gregory Maguire
- Illustrator: David Litchfield
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Courage, Empathy, Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Candlewick
- Publication date: March 29, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 224
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 21, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Podkin One-Ear: Longburrow, Book 1
Brave rabbits meet scary monsters in exciting series start.
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All-of-a-Kind Family Series
Loving stories of a large Jewish family in 1915 New York.
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The Railway Children
Great British book-based classic is rewarding for families.
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Classic, moving story of girl growing up poor in New York.
For kids who love fantasy and grief stories
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