Tat Rabbit's Treasure

Toys come to life in this visually stylish story of two stuffed animals who discover a locked chest. Tat Rabbit feels certain that the box contains treasure, while Tig, a pig with an Eeyore-like posture and attitude, maintains that monsters are locked within. As they debate the box's contents, tiny toys of various scale (but mostly minuscule) float into the dreamy, undefined landscape, their shadows supplying the only clue that they're grounded. Set against a buff-colored backdrop, the subjects of Kerins's golden-hued acrylics have an old-fashioned quality, protected from sentimentality by their almost photographic presentation. The cinematic perspective proves particularly effective when Tig rescues Tat after he falls into the box. As the lid opens, a truly horrific monster springs forth. After giving the toys a good scare, the monster ``fell in a tangle on the floor. His mask dropped off.'' ``I was only teasing,'' announces Tat, who makes amends by inviting Tig and the other toys to rummage through the ``splendiferous'' treasure. The concluding spread (containing the only white background in the book) shows all the toys enjoying a surfeit of childhood riches--costumes, fossils, feathers, buttons, acorns, charms and the like. Although some may find the British author/artist's American debut unsettling or a bit outre, readers with quirkier tastes will be attracted to its crisp, spare text and distinctly European flavor. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)