The Hike

This lovely chronicle of an outdoor adventure by Farrell (Cycle City) introduces Wren, El, Hattie, and Bean the dog, for whom hiking is “our favorite thing to do.” Setting off together, the group plans to head through a winding forest path and celebrate sunset at the peak of Buck Mountain (which various wildlife clues place in the Pacific Northwest). The trio exudes an easygoing confidence and egalitarianism—the handwritten narration is always in the collective we, and Hattie, the littlest, is a valued contributor to the cause (“Hattie always finds the route”). This sense of camaraderie, along with direct writing and that enthusiasm that animates the detailed, naïf-style art, quickly draws in the reader. After a fast start (“In the beginning, we run like maniacs”), the team begins savoring their surroundings; dialogue balloons (“Achoo,” Bean says, spotting a deer) and insets from Wren’s sketchbook amplify the action, while unobtrusive but diligent flora and fauna labels (“a stand of red alder trees,” “glacial striations”) underscore the idea that everything under the sun can be both named and notable. Readers may find it difficult to resist the call of the wild after closing the cover. Ages 3–5. [em]Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Oct.) [/em]