Solomon the Rusty Nail

Another classic from William Steig, the Caldecott and Newbery Medal-winning creator of Shrek!, Solomon the Rusty Nail is a tale of magical transformation.

Its hero, young Solomon, is an ordinary rabbit—well, ordinary in every respect but one. Whenever he scratches his nose and wiggles his toes at exactly the same time, he turns into a rusty nail. To turn back into a rabbit, all he has to do is think: “I'm no nail, I'm a rabbit!”

This unusual talent enables Solomon to play some gratifying practical jokes, but it also leads to serious trouble when he's waylaid by a one-eyed cat who plans to turn him into Hasenpfeffer. Solomon promptly becomes a rusty nail and steadfastly refuses to change back, even after Ambrose, the cat, and his wife, Clorinda, lock him up in a cage in their guest room. Sooner or later, they figure, they'll be dining on bunny stew. How can Solomon possibly find a way out of this dilemma?