HEE-HAW-DINI AND THE GREAT ZAMBINI

A farm odd couple becomes a magical team. Chester the mouse and his best friend Hee-Haw the donkey love to sit under the apple tree on their farm and practice magic tricks. They dream of joining The Great Zambini, traveling the world and doing amazing things. Pig, Rabbit and all the other animals on the farm make fun of them, but no one can daunt their spirit. One day, a circus train passes by the farm, the last car clearly Zambini’s—out of which tumbles his trunk full of tricks! Now they can have their own magic show. Their show goes beautifully, impressing the other animals, who are completely suckered in by Chester and Hee-Haw’s magician alter egos. Zambini himself appears and then, with his two new assistants, promptly disappears. All told, it’s a bright but underdeveloped adventure, with just not enough substance in the tale to make the big reveal much of an event. Doug Kennedy’s acrylics really pop—the mustachio’d Hee-Haw-Dini is a treat to behold—but his illustrations seem aimed at a younger audience than sister Kim’s ample text. (Picture book. 4-8)