cover image Aki and the Fox

Aki and the Fox

Akiko Hayashi. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, $14 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-385-41947-5

A gift from Grandma, Kon--an overall-clad stuffed fox--is Aki's constant companion. One day when a seam on Kon's arm bursts, fox and girl board a train for Grandma's village, since ``She'll know what to do.'' Alas, Kon is quite a bit worse for wear by the end of their voyage. When the train makes a stop, he dashes out to buy lunch, but as he returns the doors close on his tail. ``I'm fine, I'm fine,'' says the good-natured animal, as the conductor bandages him up. But when they disembark at Grandma's village and wander along the sand dunes, a dog snatches Kon and buries him in the sand. Grandma stitches up the bedraggled fox in no time, setting all right once again. Hayashi's (illustrator of There's a Hippo in My Bath! ) gentle text and endearing pictures, in which pastels and bold hues are attractively balanced, together impart a great deal of personality to both Kon and Aki and convey the depth of their friendship. One hopes for further adventures of this delightful duo. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)