Harris Finds His Feet
PreSchool-Grade 1—Harris asks his granddad why he has such enormous feet, and the whiskery old hare takes him on a series of adventures that show the youngster what he can do with them. Their outing includes joyous hopping "to the top of the world," contented digging, and life-preserving running (from a wolf in the distance), and end when worn-out Grandad leaves Harris to go forth on his own. The tale, told completely in spreads with one short block of text to each one, suffers from a lack of momentum, narrative tension, and a satisfying conclusion. Also, the absence of detail in either foreground or background art, suggesting to some the openness of the countryside, may give others the impression of wasted space. The screen print, watercolor, and ink illustrations, though lovely and evocative, don't do enough to make up for what the writing leaves out. Rayner'sAugustus and His Smile(Good Bks., 2006) gives children a glimpse of this artist and illustrator's vast talent.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.