Little Red's Autumn Adventure

Ferguson's rag doll–like heroine and her companions—a gloomy pink pony, a spotted puppy named Gino and (also doll-like) Little Blue—are on their way to the Great Harvest Festival when Little Red meets two mice who have lost their mother. Because she is “so big ... and scary ” to the mice, Little Red uses her magic dust to shrink herself to their size, leaving her “sack of smiles” hanging from a branch. Williams's muted autumn palette brightens considerably when a squirrel snatches the sack, the magic dust causing the forest to turn a rainbow of colors. The familiar characters and whimsical fantasy elements lend the story a Winnie the Pooh–style charm. Ages 3–6. (Aug.)