Children's books

By MICHAEL MASCHINOT

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 25, 2001

BLUE RABBIT AND THE RUNAWAY WHEEL by Christopher Wormell (Phyllis Fogelman Books, $15.99)

Note to parents who think all children's books should teach a moral lesson: Blue Rabbit is not a role model. When his bike loses a wheel, it rolls down a hill and causes havoc with the other animals. It turns Squirrel's house into a pile of sticks, dumps Badger into a mud puddle and upends Turtle. But does Blue Rabbit take responsibility for his actions? No! He blithely rides off into the sunset, leaving his victims shaking their fists in vain. Wormell's unique linoleum block prints are such a treat that it's really hard to resist the furry fugitive. And if you're really concerned about teaching a lesson, use the book as a starting point for a conversation about responsibility. Ages 3-6.

NANU, PENGUIN CHICK by Theresa Radcliffe, illustrated by John Butler (Viking, $15.99)

This British pair has collaborated on a host of nature stories, including the excellent Bashi the Elephant Baby. Nanu continues the theme of a baby animal struggling amid the dangers of the wild, with its parent providing protection. The Antarctic setting here gives Butler a chance to display his considerable talent as a wildlife artist. He doesn't have to draw a "cute" penguin -- he just lets the chick's plight create the proper response of empathy in the reader. While the story is aimed at preschoolers, the text is complex enough to keep an older child engaged, although it is a bit too anthropomorphized (the sea eagles who attack Nanu and his mother are "cowardly" when they decide to give up the fight). Ages 4-8.

THE TURKEY PRINCE by Izzi Tooinsky, illustrated by Edwina White (Viking, $15.99)

For everyone who's ever thought himself a turkey, this Zen-like fable is a refreshing balm. Under pressure to make a speech, the prince decides that he's a turkey and can't rule his kingdom, so he tears off his clothes, runs under a table and stays there. No amount of persuasion can make him change his mind until the king finally calls in a healer. The healer observes the prince for two days, and finally he rips off his own clothes and proclaims himself to be a turkey. Gradually, he gains the trust of the prince, who decides that you can be a turkey and a prince as well. His newfound confidence is tempered with an insight that comes from knowing his fears, and he uses this wisdom to become a great ruler. White's illustrations are odd, but they grow on you. Ages 5-9.

A SMALL TALL TALE FROM THE FAR NORTH by Peter Sis (Farrar Straus & Giroux, $6.95)

Sis' "true" tale of Jan Welzl, a 19th century Czech eccentric who supposedly took off for adventure in the Great White North, is published here for the first time in paperback. In Sis' story, Welzl travels across Siberia, crosses the frozen Bering Sea on a sled pulled by reindeer, winding up with a group of people he refers to as "Eskimos." When the Alaska gold rush begins, he recognizes that their way of life is threatened, and he struggles to protect them. The question of whether these events really happened is insignificant compared to the depth that Sis infuses into his remarkable illustrations. Ages 5-10.

- Michael Maschinot is a writer who lives in Decatur, Ga.

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