Waiting-for-Spring and Waiting-for-Papa were respectively published by Harper & Row in 1984 and 1990, while Houghton Mifflin's Clarion Books imprint handled the release of 1994's Waiting-for-Christmas.
The series was well-acclaimed during its original print run, with the illustrations receiving comparisons to the works of Beatrix Potter and similar artists.
[4][8][9] The final title, Waiting-for-Christmas Stories, was published in 1994 by Houghton Mifflin's Clarion Books imprint;[5] Papa Rabbit returns with a new round of tales set during the holidays.
[5] Louisiana-based William Joyce illustrated Spring in one of his earliest stints;[1] Sarah Stapler, an artist from Bowdoinham, Maine, replaced him for Papa and Christmas.
"[4] The Bronx publication Wilson Library Bulletin said, "The simplicity [of Mama Rabbit's tales] adds to their aura of freshness and self-completeness.