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Animal tales and stories are as old as time. Children have a special kinship with animal stories, for it is through them that different emotions and relationships can be explored in interesting ways. Besides, who can’t relate to a lonely polar bear, or an envious rabbit, or a smart and industrious horse? It makes the adventure of reading all the more exciting. For ages 3-8 Dog Gone By Amanda Harvey (Doubleday, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95) Otis, a dog with enormous floppy ears, goes to the Misty Meadows dog hotel with his owner Lucy. But he is stunned when Lucy leaves him behind. Though the other dogs are friendly, Otis misses his human companions and his nice warm bed. He decides he will make a run for it, over hill and dale, through river and forest. Only problem is, which way is home? Amanda Harvey’s lovable canine character has starred in previous books, and he is a winner. Children will be able to relate to Otis’s case of homesickness, and what he does to overcome it. For ages 5-9 Chestnut Written by Constance W. McGeorge; illustrated by Mary Whyte (Peachtree Publishers, hardcover, 32 pages, $16.95) Chestnut belongs to Mr. Decker, who runs a delivery service. Every morning, the horse leads a wagon around town, delivering goods to the baker, the hat maker, the candy shop and the mayor. On the morning of the mayor’s daughter’s birthday, Mr. Decker oversleeps, neglecting all the deliveries that need to be made for the event. So Chester sets off alone in the morning fog to make the special deliveries. Beautifully illustrated with fine watercolor paintings, “Chester” has a nostalgic feel about it in the finest way. Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop By Meilo So (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, 26 pages, $15.95) A greedy, lazy tabby cat enters into a deal with his parrot friend to make meals for each other. Only problem is that the cat decides to make a meal of his friend and that is only the beginning of his outrageous appetite. This is a retelling of an Indian folktale, “The Cat and the Parrot.” The illustrations, done in ink and watercolor on rice paper, are fabulous. The depiction of the corpulent cat is priceless. No More Kissing! By Emma Chichester Clark (Random House, paperback, 30 pages, $6.99) Why does there have to be so much kissing, wonders Momo the monkey. He complains that there are kisses in the morning, kisses at night, kisses to make hurt fingers better. But worst of all, his baby brother keeps getting kissed, and it just makes the baby cry louder. But even Momo finds that it’s hard to abide by his “no more kissing” rule when face-to-face with his cute brother. The colorful illustrations are perfectly cast from a child’s point of view. Goodnight Baxter By Nicola Edwards (Running Press, hardcover, 28 pages, $12.95) When Charlie’s dad brings Baxter the puppy home, boy and dog immediately become the best of friends. But then nighttime comes. Baxter has a terrible time falling asleep. Charlie brings him a blanket, a teddy bear, even his old pacifier, but nothing will help Baxter fall asleep. What Baxter really wants is to be near Charlie. Children will laugh at the puppy’s persistence, and maybe realize the responsibility inherent in getting a new pet. The illustrations are vibrant and colorful. The Lonesome Polar Bear By Jane Cabrera (Random House, hardcover, 32 pages, $13.95) Polar Bear is terribly lonely. A snow cloud takes pity on him and sends a snow owl for him to play with. But when the sun comes out, the owl melts away. The cloud sends more snow creatures down, but they, too, end up turning into puddles. Then, one day, Polar Bear comes across another little bear just like himself. Could it be that his search for a playmate is over? The illustrations, done in a fingerpaint style, are rich and colorful. If I Were a Lion Written by Sarah Weeks; illustrated by Heather M. Solomon (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, hardcover, 30 pages, $15.95) A little girl takes issue with being sent to her timeout chair after her mother tells her that she is being “wild.” The girl proceeds to explain what wild is, exactly, and that she is none of those things. “Wild is ferocious; wild will bite. I’m precocious and polite.” This is a book that every child who has ever been sent to a timeout, whether justly or unjustly, can relate to. The illustrations of all the wild animals the girl imagines, rendered in gouache and watercolor, are detailed and highly expressive. The Perfect Tail: A Fred and Lulu Story By Mie Araki (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 32 pages, $14.95) Fred, a rabbit, has a case of tail envy. Every friend that he meets has a better tail than he does, or so he thinks. He envies the striped tail of his raccoon friend, the feathered tail of his peacock friend, and the spiked tail of his porcupine friend. It takes an admiring comment from his rhino friend, Lulu, to make Fred realize that his tail and he are fine just the way they are. The woodcut-style illustrations are colorful and expressive. The Ring Bear: A Rascally Wedding Adventure Written by David Michael Slater; illustrated by S.G. Brooks (Flashlight Press, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95) Westley and his mom form the perfect duo, he thinks. He doesn’t want a stepfather, but when Westley’s mom announces her plans to marry her friend Stan, Westley realizes that there are big changes coming up. In his anger, Westly misunderstands his role at the wedding, and imagines he will be the ring bear, not bearer, wreaking havoc on all. This book can help children explore the emotions, good and bad, that inevitably come with the blending of families. The story is sensitively told, and the pictures, rendered in gouache, acrylic and black pencil, are kid-friendly. The Very Best Daddy of All Written by Marion Dane Bauer; illustrated by Leslie Wu (Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 32 pages, $12.95) Some daddies comfort their children and hold them tight; others encourage them that everything will be all right. A father’s love is expressed in many ways, and this sweet and charming book helps children realize those facets. The illustrations, done in pastels, of animal babies and their fathers are lovely. -By Craig Reem |
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