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There is virtually no plot to this book, and it is delightful! It is quiet, gentle and nostalgic.
The Grandfather of Davie, a Dutch boy of unspecified age (I imagined him about 6 years old), tells him that he will get him a pet rabbit. About half the book is about Davie's excitement as he looks forward to getting the rabbit, and the other half is about what happens after he gets the rabbit. And honestly, not a great deal happens. But that's not the point.
DeJong is a master at portraying the inner thoughts and emotions of children. THAT is the point of this book. We learn about every little thought and feeling that goes through Davie's mind, and it reminds us with a sort of joyful nostalgia, about when we were that young... of a time when something as simple as getting a rabbit could completely and absolutely saturate all of our thoughts and actions.
Though written for upper elementary grade children, and a Newbery Honor book, I'm not sure the target age would appreciate "Shadrach" much. Today's 5th graders don't want to read about 6-year-olds. I think the perfect audience is adults who still enjoy intermediate books (like myself) or parents of children close to Davie's age. ( )

A young boy who had been ill for a long time is promised a rabbit by his grandfather. The story follows his agony in waiting an entire week for the eponymous rabbit to arrive, and then through the first few weeks of learning to care for it.
A saccharine-like story; just way too cutesy for me. ( )

Davie is just a little boy and he has been promised a pet rabbit by his Grandpa. But, he has to wait a whole week before the little black rabbit who will be named Shadrach will come home. The first half of the book was Davie's obsession and anticipation during the week before Shadrach came home. The rest of the book included trials and tribulations as poor Shadrach seemed to be getting skinnier and he managed to escape a couple of times.

This was cute. It being a children's chapter book, there were some nice little illustrations by Maurice Sendak. ( )

Davie, a small Dutch boy who has been sick, is given a pet rabbit by his grandfather. Despite all his tender care, Shadrach does not flourish and when the rabbit disappears, Davie is devastated. This is in some ways a tedious book, but the author catches beautifully the aching pressure a child feels when waiting for or worrying about something. It also gives a nice picture of village life that most children would have no clue about. ( )