When Badger takes Rabbit on a little adventure the light going on and off create a mystery which can only end in,... SURPRISE! This simple book aimed at the young listener and reader is ideal for the build-up to a birthday or for a child who has a fear of the dark as well as a general, good fun read with others. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the small details secreted away in the illustrations and encourage your youngsters to explore a different point of view of the story that is being told through them.

Rabbit and Fox head toward a door. From out of what appears to be a window you see eyes peeking from behind pulled back drapes. As Rabbit and Fox open the door the room is in darkness with five pairs of eyes showing up in the dark illustrations. The only text is, “Huh?" The light flips on as Fox and three animals say, “Surprise!” It appears to be Rabbit's birthday since the animals are wearing party hats and the illustration shows balloons. The next illustration is darkness with only eyes showing up again. When the lights come back on everyone is wearing costumes. Again, lights out lights on. This time the animals are dancing and there are disco balls. Again the lights go off. What will things look like when they come back on.

Cons: I had to read this book several times to begin to understand it or appreciate it. It really felt a little more suited for a board book.

Pros: Young children should love the dark pictures with only eyes showing and then trying to guess what will be happening when the page is turned.

Surprise was so fun! My 2 year old absolutely loves this book. The pictures are just stunning and the story itself is just so cute and so perfect for a toddler to fall in love with!

Rabbit's friends have a HUGE surprise for him but it's top secret. Mom's the word. They invite him over and upon his arrival strange and magical things begin to happen. The lights keep going on and off. Whatever is happening he thinks? Each time they re-appear a brand new surprise awaits Rabbit.

Lights on: His friends have donned funny costumes. Off! Lights on: Everyone is grooving and disco-dancing under the shiny disco balls... Off! Lights on: The circus is in town and everyone is an under-the-big-top performer!

"Oh my! (thinks Rabbit)
This party is amazing!...
... Every time
the light goes on.
there's a fantastic-"
"Surpr-oh..."

Kids will try to guess what might be coming up next I'm sure. The last surprise is best of all, it's the icing on the cake... literally! Rabbit will be blown away by the generosity and love he receives from his friends.

The book enables kids to interact, guess and predict future happenings. Due to the simplicity of the text there is a ton of room for discussion and vocabulary development.

The illustrations are colourful, vibrant and full of fun activity. The book is not only a birthday celebration but a celebration of friendship and love. I highly recommend this book.

This nearly wordless picture book is all about the surprise. Every time the lights go off, there is another surprise waiting for the bunny. A fun addition to any kids collection.

Cute, though very simple. Might be enjoyable for very young children, though many may not come back for a second read. Perhaps better suited for a board book format.

This was bright, colorful, and lots of fun to read. My four-year-old son thought it was cool and he wanted me to read it to him again. The illustrations were a lot of fun; seeing the different expressions on the animals' faces was great.

I read a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Surprise by Mike Henson was a very cute story of friends having a new surprise each time they turned out the light. I wish someone would do that for my birthday! I found the concept clever, fun and new. The characters were cute and the story line fun. I would encourage people to read this as a birthday book.

What a fun book. I have read several books where the pictures tell a major part of the story for little ones and they seem to really enjoy them. I think it is important to incorporate these types of books into a child's library. I will be using this book for story time.

I loved the large, clear illustrations in this book. They showed how much fun the friends were having using bright, vibrant colours that showed cute expressions. There was very little text in the story, but it was still a cute book. The discussions and vocabulary development that can occur while talking about the pictures will make this a winner for toddlers and young children. There is so much happening in the pictures. I'm not sure about using it to reinforce opposites though, I must have missed something. A good choice for a family library.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Haha, I suddenly understand why the book was first called ON/OFF. And that Surprise! also fits perfectly. Maybe they could have combined the titles. :P

This book is about a cute bunny and their surprise birthday party! But, that is not where it stops, it is truly a surprise party as each time that the light goes out and then back on there is a new surprise for our bunny. From a surprise dance party to surprise friends glomping our bunny in the dark. Our bunny has the time of their life.

I am almost thinking of doing such a surprise party myself, as this is just absolutely brilliant. Why surprise someone just once when you can surprise them all the time?

I also love how you can just scroll (as I am reading a digital copy) and see how everything moves. Each page flows easily into the next. I didn't notice until later on, but when I went back to the first page and then scrolled through it fast I noticed it wasn't just those later pages, but all of them. So much fun!

The illustrations are simple, but very cute and I quite love the style.

All in all, this book is adorable and cute, I would recommend it. Plus I would also recommend everyone to try out this kind of party in real life!

Easy and simple story line with bright and colorful illustrations

The art's charming and there's nothing wrong with the premise, but the execution is lacking. I cannot justify purchasing such a thin concept book when it's been done better plenty times in the past.

I loved the illustrations in this book, they were nice, sharp, bright and clear.
The story is good and will be ideal for those from a very young age up to toddlers.
An uncomplicated storyline that will be easy for them to follow.

This children's book contains sweet animal illustrations that are sure to appeal to babies and toddlers. The story depicting a surprise birthday party is minimal. The real star of the show will be the delightful illustrations. I'm personally a sucker for cute foxes.

Nice illustrations and lovely inspiration! My 2-year son asked me to read him this story more than once. For bigger kids it also inspire people to believe in the fun of friendship and being together with those that really count! The illustrations are very dynamic and colourful, attractive for the curious eyes of any pre-schooler.