HARVEY HARE, POSTMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE

Harvey Hare embodies all the traits that make letter carriers such bricks: Nature can't throw anything at him to prevent the swift completion of his appointed rounds. Spring rain, summer heat, autumn's winds, winter snow, Harvey Hare braves them all as he trudges over hill and through dale to deliver the goods: a bundle of twigs for the sparrows, a pair of spectacles for Mole, a bag of nuts for Squirrel. His work ethic hasn't been lost on his patrons; to show their affection and respect, they present him with an umbrella, fashioned of spring flowers and meadow grasses, to shield him from the elements. Watts pays gentle tribute to responsibility and fortitude, and while it's a bit of a one-note song, children will appreciate Harvey Hare's dauntlessness. What powers this book, though, are the unpretentious, elegant illustrations; Watts captures the moods of the seasons and provides the right measure of drama to prevent the story from becoming a treacly salute. (Picture book. 5-8)