Amazon.com Review
When Little Red and her friends plan a "buzz of a day" picnicking in Bluebell Wood, none of them anticipates the dreadful noise that disrupts their placid gathering: "SPLAT SHWOOSH THWACK THUMP SQUEAK SPLOSH." Little Blue and the others are all for skedaddling, but brave Little Red insists: "If someone was in trouble, she and her friends should try to help." Young readers will be as anxious as the cute little protagonists, wondering what could possibly be making that big scary noise, and hoping its not as bad as it sounds. Luckily, the story behind the noise is not, in fact, as bad as it sounds, and the day ends as happily as it began. Sarah Ferguson (a.k.a. The Duchess of York) writes on the back cover, "When I was a little girl, I wanted to have a friend like Little Red. Shes sweet and brave and funny and kind." And so she is. Illustrator Sam Williams creates a friendly, old-fashioned backdrop to the Duchess's quaint story about courage and friendship. (Ages 3 to 6)
--Emilie Coulter
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-Little Red and her friends Little Blue, Roany the Pony, and Gino the Dog all leave Buttercup Cottage for a "buzz of a day" picnicking on sherbert sandwiches and chocolate cake in Bluebell Wood. During their feast, a terrible noise leads them to a bunny stranded on a lily pad during a game with frogs. Digging into her magic sack of smiles, Little Red finds a rope that allows Roany to make a successful rescue. Although wordy and containing numerous British phrases, the story itself is serviceable. It is the cloyingly sweet pastel-pencil and watercolor artwork showing these doll-like characters journeying through picturesque fields and flowers that drives the book over the edge. It's all too saccharine for most children.
Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.