Showdown at Lonesome Pellet

Having set A Coney Tale, his introductory saga about this endearing rabbit breed, in 17th-century England, the author now turns the clock ahead some 200 years and transports the Coneys across the Atlantic. In the 1870s, a group of peace-loving Coneys inhabit the small Western town of Lonesome Pellet. But things haven't been very peaceful since the arrival of the Pointy Brothers, ""the meanest, orneriest coney coots that ever hopped the plains."" Rumor has it that someone named the Cone Ranger will appear to save them. Sure 'nuff, along comes a stranger wearing a radish hat (an amusingly ridiculous red beanie topped with enormous, plume-like green leaves) who devises a successful plan to rid the town of these sassy siblings. Though its plot is slighter than that of its predecessor, this book features similarly droll illustrations, and these coneys are equally hard to resist. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)