Rudolph Shines Again

Caparo follows his 2014 reimagining of May’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with a handsomely illustrated sequel, originally published in 1954. Rudolph is once again ostracized by his peers and assigned the worst tasks in Santa’s workshop, and his confidence plummets: “ ‘Oh poor little me,’ he would pity and pout./ Till one day the light in his nose just went out!” Determined to start anew, Rudolph runs away and lands in a forest, where he rescues a pair of lost rabbit siblings and soars home in time to guide Santa’s sleigh through snow and fog once more. There are some clumsy lines as the story unfolds (“Just picture the Mother and Dad Rabbits’ joy,/ When Rudolph brought back both their girl and their boy!”), but Caparo’s images are again distinguished by cinematic stagings and dramatic lighting. Ages 4–6. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates. (Sept.)