Harriet's Hare

A hare that talks - that can't be possible, thinks Harriet when she's confronted by such a creature in the cornfield one midsummer morning. But this one is different; he's come from Pars and his spacecraft has created a corn-circle in her father's field. Soon Harriet (who has only her father for company) and the magical, wise hare who can speak any language and take on any shape, are firm friends. As July gives way to August and the September full moon - the day for Wiz's departure - approaches, Harriet becomes sad despite Wiz's promised surprises. But even she cannot remain miserable when she learns of his best surprise of all. Seldom do I get really enthusiastic about fiction for this younger age range in the same way as I do picture books or writing for older readers, but this was one book I couldn't put down. I found myself wishing there were some 7(ish)-year-olds around into whose hands I could immediately thrust it. We earthlings could learn a few lessons from Wiz and his companions on Pars where, as he tells Harriet, they have money but . . . 'we treat it sensibly. Here on earth some human beings have so much money they don't know what to do with it, and some are desperately poor. On pars, everyone's equal. Much fairer ... There's no such word as "enemy" in the language.' A must for sharing with those around seven and for confident readers to take on for themselves.