Fifty & the Great Race P Ov B

On a welcome day off, Wally the field hand is painting a portrait of his friend Fifty the tractor. Then the farmer passes along the news that he wants them to build a tunnel before the rain comes. They start to build it, and while Wally has lunch, the industrious tractorwith the help of some moles and Norris the ratfinishes the job. Wally is free to complete that portrait, but the rain has spoiled the canvas. However, Fifty makes his mark on the field by plowing a self-portrait around the molehills. This novel story is the product of an odd imagination, with just the sort of strange twists that may well intrigue young readers. Baynton's pictures sparkle as they depict a genial, unusual friendship between a daydreaming worker and his trusty anthropomorph, Fifty. Ages 3-6. (February)