Raising Hare: children's edition by Chloe Dalton illustrated by Denise Nestor

"The leveret lay on its stomach with its eyes open and its short, silky ears held tightly against its back. It was no longer than the width of my palm. Its fur was dark brown, thick and choppy and grew in delicate curls along its spine. Long, pale guard hairs and whiskers stood out from its body and glowed in the weak sun."

"I felt embarrassed and worried. I had no intention of taming the hare, or of keeping it as a pet. I only wanted to shelter it."

This is the essence of this book. As a reader we go on a journey with Chloe Dalton as she accommodates the baby hare careful to keep her distance and not startle the wild animal with loud noises. It feels at times as though it is not only Chloe who is learning how to adjust to the little leveret. The young hare also has to work out how to navigate her house, learn to drink milk, try new foods and follow its instincts to explore wild places always alert to possible dangers and predators. 

I really appreciated that Chloe Dalton resisted the temptation to name the baby hare for many months and for a long time we don't even know it this is a little boy or girl.  

"Ours are different worlds. She can cross into mine, but hers will always be out of reach to me, and that's how it should be."

Publisher blurb: One winter's day, Chloe Dalton went for a countryside walk and discovered a newborn baby hare - no bigger than her hand - chased by a dog and separated from its mother. Worried for its safety, Chloe took the tiny hare home and learned how to feed and care for it . . . and an extraordinary friendship began. This is the fascinating true tale of how Chloe and the hare, with its drumming paws and distinctive charm, lived alongside each other until the time came for it to return to the wild. But when the hare is finally ready to jump over the garden wall, will Chloe ever see it again?

This book cover is sure to entice so many young readers to pick up this book. I have not read the adult version (I did wonder about the difference), but Raising Hare the children's edition is a terrific book for animal lovers and all children who enjoy true stories. The way Chloe Dalton tells this story kept me turning the pages and enjoying her care and kindness towards this small wild creature that she was so privileged to meet. The format of this book in hardcover with a dust jacket (you know I love those) means this book will be a beautiful Christmas gift. [Allen and Unwin AUS$29.99]. The UK publisher is Canongate Books. There are some very useful addition resources on the publisher page such as videos, teaching ideas, and a Q&A with the author. 

Page from Hare files

It is rare in my experience to find end papers in a novel - these are very special:

You already know I am not a big fan of endorsements, but these are actually perfect - 'Glorious' Katherine Rundell; and 'Wondrous' Michael Morpurgo.

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has a Pinterest collection of books that explore animal heroes and true animal stories. Your younger readers, even though we are here in Australia with no hares, will have encountered hares in books such as Nutbrown Hare in Guess How much I love you; Aesop stories of the Hare and the Tortoise; the hare in the Frog series by Max Velthuijs; and even a slightly obscure but very funny picture book with the title Bad Hare Day by Miriam Moss illustrated by Lynne Chapman. I also thought of the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland. 

From the publisher: Raising Hare is Chloe Dalton's debut book and was an instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. Chloe divides her time between working as a political adviser and foreign policy specialist in London and her home in the English countryside. Raising Hare was also shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, and was selected as a Waterstones Book of the Year and as the Hay Festival Book of the Year. It was a Critics Best Books pick for The Times, Financial Times, Guardian, Spectator and iNews and was a Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month.

I suggest reading the UK RSPCA advice about looking after wild hares. 

Companion books:

Wandi

Singing with elephants

If you want to read another book (totally unrelated to Raising Hare) about hares, try to find this one - it is fabulous:

Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup

Here is the cover of the adult title by Chloe Dalton:

Read an interview with Chloe Dalton about her adult book

A soulful and gracefully written book about an animal’s power to rekindle curiosity. 

Kirkus Star review

The end papers from the adult version are very similar to the ones you will find in the young reader edition:

End papers from the adult edition