Mother Goose and the Sly Fox: Retold and with Pictures

Mother Goose, who watches over her seven goslings and one do-nothing mouse, goes to market one day. The goslings innocently open the door to a hungry fox, who needs food for his own young cubs. Six of the goslings are bagged and carted off, but Mother Goose saves her children when the lazy fox takes a nap. Doused in an ivory glow reminiscent of old-fashioned postcards, the pictures in Conover's latest work are a creamy confection of charm and cinema. In lace and ribbon-framed borders, elements of the story are referred to and exalted, while dramatic spreads elaborate on the action with picturesque scenes of village life. The book is ornate without being inaccessible, and while the story has less impact than the art, it fares well as an original tale. Ages 3-up. (Sept.)