BRAVE JACK

Jack, the lithe brown wild rabbit who hops alertly through Dave Saunders's handsome paintings, has big plans for a feast in the cabbage patch. One by one, his farm friends warn him of ``a wicked old man,'' ``a fierce farmer,'' or ``a great flapping monster'' guarding the cabbages, but Jack is undeterred: ``Follow, if you dare!'' There is something looming in the field, looking especially terrible in the oncoming night that has gradually deepened Saunders's gorgeous palette as the story has progressed—but it's only a scarecrow. The simple plot, with language nicely varied in the repeated warnings, makes for a novel and suspenseful way to review some barnyard friends—who are especially welcome as depicted in the splendidly evocative, beautifully crafted art. (Picture book. 2-6)