A WALK IN THE WILD WOODS
by Lis Jones & illustrated by Jim Coplestone
A toy rabbit has an unexpected forest adventure. Little girl Ruby is scared of the woods, but Daddy reassures her that he'll keep her safe. Snugly bundled up and with stuffed bunny Rabby riding in her hood, Ruby goes through the gate to the woods, all golden leaves, with Daddy. Ruby is frightened when she sees a fox chasing rabbits, but Daddy explains that foxes need to catch rabbits for food. Ruby and Daddy are so busy talking that they don't see that Rabby has been snagged out of the hood and dangles from a branch. Before long, Foxy is after the toy (who wears a hooded coat that matches Ruby's), but, when he catches up to Rabby, something surprising happens. Coplestone’s lovely double-page watercolor spreads provide a wordless subtext in which Foxy and Rabby’s interaction is overdubbed by Daddy and Ruby's oblivious conversation, to sweetly humorous effect. Jones's book begins as a traditional "message" story but delights with a fantasy twist and a subtler bit of wisdom. (Picture book. 4-6)