MOLE'S HILL

The gorgeous graphics of this oversize book are insufficiently supported by a plot that's nearly overwhelmed by its muddled subtext. Fox lays down the law: He, Skunk, and Raccoon are planning a path to the pond, and Mole and her hump of dirt will have to be moved by fall. Instead, the little digger makes a mountain of her molehill, planting flowers on it; and the other animals are so impressed that they invite Mole to help with their path by tunneling through instead of removing it. As always, Ehlert's vibrant designs are striking, but sloppy details abound in the book's logic — e.g., one month's phases of the moon are represented on a spread noting that "Many moons passed," and the flowers are still in full bloom after the leaves have turned. Mole's assertive yet peaceable outflanking of her oppressors is fine; but it's a shame that the means are so over-contrived. (Picture book. 3-8)