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by Gordon Thomas Ward (Author)
Set along the coast of Maine, this story, starring a thoughtful Snowshoe Hare named Mr. Harenten, follows the adventures of an assortment of woodland animal friends that learn to overcome their fears by working together and relying on each other.
Serenity Ledge is a charmed, woodland realm along the coast of Maine. As described in the book as... "At the top of a hill, in the middle of a forest, along a rocky coast of Maine is a quiet woodland full of beauty and sprinkled with magic. The delightful animals who live in this place have named it Serenity Ledge for very good reasons. Its air is clean and crisp and filled with gentle breezes whispering through spruce and cedar boughs. There's the ever so soft, whooshing sound of waves crashing on the nearby seashore.
This setting is home to an assortment of animals sharing camaraderie and common adventures. These include a Snowshoe Hare, a Red Squirrel, a Red Fox, a porcupine, a Blue Jay, and a Barred Owl. After Mr. Harenten, the thoughtful and timid Snowshoe Hare, dreams up the idea of having a grand picnic with his friends, he realizes he's created a predicament. His solution relies on devising a plan with his close friends to overcome his fear of gathering clover behind the dark and imposing Ledge House.
With the aid from Reny the curious Red Fox, Max, the worried porcupine, Winifred, a mischievous Blue Jay, Benjamin, the kind Barred Owl, and Scamper, a brave Red Squirrel, Mr. Harenten finds the courage to confront his clover quest. In the process, all of the animals rediscover the values of friendship while realizing that working together and employing the virtues of patience and trust are paramount in achieving a common goal. Mr. Harenten also comes to understand that he has more courage and can do more than he thought.
From midnight meetings and early morning planning to celebratory picnic toasts and sprinkles of humor, Mr. Harenten and his friends are brought to life through proper, poetic prose and playful, vibrant, watercolor and pen and ink illustrations. As one reviewer stated, "The story's attention to addressing fears with courage and emerging confidence provides a wonderful experience for young readers to explore and understand their own emotions in a non-threatening manner." Young readers and adults alike will identify with the characters' personalities while finding their own sense of enchantment rekindled in imagination and wrapped in wonder.
