Up the Mountain

What is better than having a friend? And what's better for friends than a shared adventure? Dragon, Chicken, Rabbit, and Cat -- the foursome of the author's To the Island -- meet, as ever, to spend the day together. But it's a gray, wet one. "Up the mountain?/ In the Rain?/ We can always go back home again." Encouraged by each other's company, they set off regardless of weather. And by the time they approach the summit ("The top is near/ The trees are fewer/ Magically, the sky is bluer ") their day has turned out to be a fine one. An upward struggle yields some splendid views: First the sun, finally the moon as they near home -- where all the best adventures end. The language is utterly simple, the lively watercolors warm with affection.