Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree

PreS-Gr 1—Red Knit Cap Girl and her woodland friends return in an adventure focused on about books. When Squirrel shows Red Knit Cap Girl a tree with a huge nook, she has an idea. "I will keep my book in this nook so everyone can read it.'" Squirrel, White Bunny, Bear, and Hedgehog love the idea so much that they soon add their own books, too. As the idea spreads, more and more animals add to the nook. Beaver wants to participate, but he doesn't have any books, so he gnaws a bookshelf for the contributions. When autumn arrives, so do the sheep with warm wool blankets for the readers. The final touch is when Moon and Owl work through the night to make the perfect sign: "Library." "'A library is a place where anyone can borrow a book,'" the child explains. This last bit is aimed at Sly Fox, who thought he was stealing books. Stoop's straightforward text is a good match for her illustrations. Soft, sweet, and a bit retro, they are done on plywood whose grain shows subtly under the art. Beautiful background washes set the scene for the main characters, who are expressive despite having no mouths and dots for eyes. The pictures, on single page and full spreads, clearly support the text. A story about reading, friendship and working together—what's not to love?—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH