School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A fluffy bipedal fox has a new red wagon and, as far as she's concerned, it's playtime right now. But Mom has a chore for her first. Lucy needs to go to the market. She's not enthused, but she does head off, shopping list in her paw, and takes along her imagination. Hedgehog, Rabbit, Raccoon, and others join her in fanciful play as the wagon becomes a boat, covered wagon, truck, or train while they make their way down the road. Lucy's Mom is pleased when she returns, task finished, and now it's time to play. Except, all that "work" actually means that the little fox is now ready for a nap. The illustrations are done with pencil and are colored digitally. The small childlike animals are fluffy, soft, and friendly looking. Although the story moves between fantasy and reality without much explanation, overall it offers an appealing-if not outstanding-slice-of-life story.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Lucy, a fox cub with a small pink hair ribbon, wants to play with her new red wagon, but her mother asks her to go to the market: "That sounded like a chore. Lucy didn't want to do chores." In the company of her animal friends, though, the errand becomes a string of adventures. With soft colors, rounded forms, and just the right amount of furry cuddliness, Liwska's (The Quiet Book) paintings portray their encounter with a rainstorm (the wagon becomes a boat atop a huge wave); their visit to the market (a circus, with Lucy tossing fruit to a bear on a trapeze); and the wagon's collision with a rock (a space voyage, with wagon as spaceship and vegetables as celestial objects). The contrast between the matter-of-fact text and whimsical interpretations gives the book its momentum; the last line-"Finally, Lucy was free to play with her wagon"-accompanies a portrait of Lucy asleep inside. Liwska's story stays true to the way children see the world, gives the gentlest of pushes toward cooperation, and offers respite from suburban anxiety and busyness. Ages 3-5. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
