ALEX DID IT!

Three feckless hares discover the convenience of having an imaginary scapegoat named Alex. "I just made him up!" says Bouncer gleefully to his long-eared brothers, Buster and Baby, after their carousing wakes an angry Bear. "Now anytime we get into trouble, we can just say that Alex did it!" But when a real hare named Alex arrives in the forest, they realize that if they don't fess up, their new friend will have to take the blame for all their pranks. German author Weigelt's premise will hook readers—what child hasn't yearned to evade responsibility for misbehavior? And the author doesn't soft-pedal the consequences: when Buster, Bouncer and Baby own up to their crimes by introducing the real Alex, "All the animals were mad at the little hares. But Alex got welcoming presents from everyone." (Alex is nice enough to share with his new—and newly repentant—friends). Rendered in golds, greens and burnished oranges, Kadmon's (Luke the Lionhearted) pastels have a lush, sunlit velvetiness. The soothing spreads soften the effective but somewhat heavy-handed message. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)