Opening in a great forest, in a quiet, green bed of ferns where a little fawn lies concealed, this poetic picture-book/early-reader describes the first year of life of two young cervine siblings, Dash and Dart. Struggling to find their feet as newborns, nuzzling Mother Doe for milk, they must slowly learn the ways of the forest, from the sounds and scents of danger to the seasonal migration out of the mountains. Spending their first winter in the lowlands, the two fawns encounter other deer for the first time - including the awe-inspiring Old Horny, King of the Forest - and discover how to forage for their own food. Their return to the mountains in the spring sees them newly independent and, in Dash's case, looking forward to the growth of his first antlers. Perhaps one day, he muses to himself, he will be the King of the Forest...

Chosen as one of two Caldecott Honor Books in 1943 - the other title to be chosen was Clare Turlay Newberry's Marshmallow - this sweet little volume has a gentle charm that is very appealing, quietly casting its spell over the reader. The text is presented in free form prose (almost free verse) divided into very brief sections or chapters, and is accompanied by lovely sepia-toned illustrations - in pencil, I think? - some presented on the page facing the text, some on the same page as the text, and some on two-page wordless spreads intermingled with the text. Although the title implies that this is the story of both Dash and Dart, there's no question that this is really Dash's story - his activities predominate, and his aspirations form the conclusion of the book. I believe that there is a sequel, Forest Folk, that details how he did indeed come to be King of the Forest. Recommended to young forest lovers, particularly those with a weakness for stories (such as Bambi) about young fawns. ( )