by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 02, 2010

The illustrations remind me of Beatrix Potter. There's fields and trees tinted with light pastel greens, and a pastel blue represents the bright afternoon sky. "One warm sunny afternoon," the book begins, introducing Tim Mouse and his animal friend, "Mr. Brown." By the book's second page, they've discovered a message in a bottle - and the animal adventure has begun!

"Help!" reads the message from Willy Frog. "I've been captured by a gang of fierce river rats."  Fortunately, Tim has a sturdy little raft made from sticks tied together, with its own tiny mast and a sail. They investigate Willy Frog's house, but they don't discover any clues. Fortunately a minnow in the river calls out to them, promising to lead them to the river rats' hideout!

Animals in children's books are always getting into difficult situations, but what makes this book special is the charming realism from author-illustrator Judy Brook. She draws the raft in believable detail, and adds a convincing depiction of the river it sails on and the fields along the shore. Even Willy Frog's house looks like a real house, with a front door and a tiny shovel and rake leaning against its side wall.

The book was written in 1969, and it has a gentle pace that seems to come from another time. Though one beautiful drawing after another, Brook's story peacefully meanders along. The river raft floats through many new fields, giving Tim and his friend a chance to meet more talking animals. Their investigation doesn't make much progress, but it gives the reader extra time in their magical world.

All the extra details make the story more intriguing, and soon the animals' rescue mission has them heading off "through the cow field and just beyond a farm." But I had to laugh when their river path is blocked by...two cows leaning into the stream for a drink.  Understandably, the cows are startled to see a tiny raft filled with two animals floating by. "Moooo - what's this?" reads the dialogue - and Brook adds a funny drawing of the puzzled cows staring down at the lively raft, their cow eyes big with surprise.

They meet talking hens, and greedy ducks who try to eat their guiding minnow. Finally, in the shadows of a bridge, they come across a ragged toy boat with a sleeping rat guarding its deck. "Oh hurry, hurry do!" wails the little minnow, and Tim crawls up a rope to tiptoe past the sleeping rats...

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