Hound and Hare

Gr 1—3—This odd import is a mixed bag. It has the heft of a chapter book, but the retro full-color and pencil sketches on every page evoke a picture-book feel. Harley Hare and Hugo Hound exist in a village that is divided by mistrust and dislike. Despite their parents' prejudices, they sneak off to compete in Great Bone's Big Race. A thunderstorm mid-race finds them wet and lost, and they must rely on each other's strengths to rescue fellow racer Pippa Pig and make it home safely. Harley and Hugo share first place, and their cooperation teaches the village to abandon its divisive ways. For a story with a chase scene, the plot has little momentum, and the lack of believable conflict resolution does a disservice to the issues of bullying and discrimination. Parent-led mudslinging like Mrs. Hound's command "to stay away from those carrot munchers" gives the family scenes a confusing and angry tone. A lack of humanizing detail makes Harley's and Hugo's transformations in the end seem oversimplified, and young readers may find it hard to relate to them. Ultimately, the agonizing alliteration and "hare-brained" puns keep this book from going the distance.—Jenna Boles, Washington-Centerville Public Library, OH