Frederick Ferdinand Fox

""My name is Frederick Ferdinand Fox. For generations my family have been mail carriers for the Kingdom of Coralville. But there has never been one as famous as I.'' As it turns out, Ferdinand acted as a secret agent in a recent war and traveled behind the scenes to deliver messages from the king to his general. His heroism and skill in eluding the enemy made him a hero and, ``at the victory parade I was appointed Postmaster General.'' There's something slyly appealing about Ferdinand's arrogance and immodesty, but some of the underlying humor may be lost on young readers. Miller's pictures use large, minimalist blocks of color, with lines only for contrastthe scrollwork of a gate, or the detailed map showing the battleground. It's a first book that shows promise. Ages 4-8. (June)