Stop Thief! by Heather Tekavec - ADVISABLE

Tekavec, Heather, Stop Thief!. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, LTD. 2014. $ 16.95.

There’s a thief on the farm stealing all of the farmer’s carrots, berries, beans, and cherries. He asks his trusty dog Max to catch the thief. As Max chases a bug, who he suspects is the thief, he is cheered and encouraged by the rabbit in the carrot patch, the pig in the berry bush, the goat in the bean stalks, and the crows in the cherry tree. Max runs the bug off the property and reports back to the farmer that the thief is gone. The other animals decide to thank Max for saving their precious food. Worried that the thief would return before Max came to receive his gift, the animals decided to hide the food where the thief will never find it…in their bellies.

This was such a cute book. Good ol’ Max is so determined to save the farm, and the animals, which are actually stealing the food, are genuinely concerned. They certainly don’t think of themselves as thieves and are appalled that someone would be stealing from the farm. The premise of the book is very clever, the narration is hilarious, and the illustrations really make this fun story come alive.

PRE K-EL (K-3)-- ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Rebecca H.