Little Red

When Little Red and her friends plan a "buzz of a day" picnicking in Bluebell Wood, none of them anticipates the dreadful noise that disrupts their placid gathering: "SPLAT SHWOOSH THWACK THUMP SQUEAK SPLOSH." Little Blue and the others are all for skedaddling, but brave Little Red insists: "If someone was in trouble, she and her friends should try to help." Young readers will be as anxious as the cute little protagonists, wondering what could possibly be making that big scary noise, and hoping it’s not as bad as it sounds. Luckily, the story behind the noise is not, in fact, as bad as it sounds, and the day ends as happily as it began. Sarah Ferguson (a.k.a. The Duchess of York) writes on the back cover, "When I was a little girl, I wanted to have a friend like Little Red. She’s sweet and brave and funny and kind." And so she is. Illustrator Sam Williams creates a friendly, old-fashioned backdrop to the Duchess's quaint story about courage and friendship. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter