I Love You, Baby Deer

Gr 2–4—When Baby Deer's mother does not return one night, the starving youngster sets off to find food. She wanders to a house by the river before she collapses near the steps of a farmhouse. Grannie nourishes and shelters the fawn, who plays with the other animals, particularly the dog. When her granddaughter visits and falls in love with the deer, Gracie takes Pineapple to live with her in town. She enjoys her time there, until the day she sees another deer in the distance, and she is torn between her love for the child and her yearning for her animal family. The theme of "parting with those we love in order for them to enjoy the life they were meant to live" is clearly stated in the end. The length of this story is sure to test children's attention span. An illustration faces a full page of fairly small print text. The realistic watercolor illustrations suggest the action and setting, but neither the text nor the art makes the book worth purchasing.—Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA