The aptly named Newbie is a rescue bunny in training. Under the tutelage of her grizzled superiors, she has aced all prerequisites but one: the dreaded Field Test. One day, the alarm blares: a giraffe is in trouble! It’s an adorable leap of kid logic (of course bunnies rescue giraffes) that ends with the crew freeing a giraffe from mud before hyenas descend. Menchin’s cartoon art is as sharply lined and colorful as they come, and he makes fine use of the infinite African horizon. His bunnies look hilariously grave as they rush around in safety helmets; the most amusing moment comes when the junior member grits her teeth in grim determination: “Newbie pulls herself together.” Cronin’s story feels like an actual story, complete with mini plot arcs, fast parts, slow parts, and character development—a nice change from the fast dash of most picture books. At least two bits are confusing (it’s initially unclear how the giraffe is stuck, and there’s no telling why the hyenas ultimately retreat). But, like Newbie, this off-kilter, unpredictable book emerges victorious