PARCEL FOR STANLEY
by Ian Whybrow & illustrated by Sally Hobson
Stanley, a rabbit, doesn’t seem to do much; his friends the ginger cat, a duck, a fire engine, and Lizzie, the cow, worry that he is idle. When a special parcel arrives, Stanley unpacks a magic wand and top hat and finds the inspiration he needs to get busy. Stanley immediately wants to show off his new tricks, but the others shoo him away. When the queen (a little girl) comes to tea, the others attempt to impress her, but Stanley’s magic steals the show. The sloping green hills and rounded yellow and orange trees of the flat, childlike setting charm; older children will be bored, but the story has a enough hints for preschoolers to easily guess Stanley’s new talent. (Picture book. 3-6)