The Runaway

In one of Robert Frost's most appealing poems for children, this quintessential New England poet brings the reader to a rolling upland meadow just as autumn turns to winter and snow begins to fall. In this interpretation, a child and mother are out for a walk and are captivated by a young Morgan colt, bewildered and skittish, reacting to his his first encounter with falling snow.

With striking tableaus, bold shapes, and sumptuous colors, the artist Glenna Lang evokes the archetypal New England landscape crisscrossed with stone walls and inhabited by farm animals. Her winsome colt and sympathetic child will engage the young reader in this moving poem about caretaking and concern for young creatures.

Adults may see the poignancy and ambiguity of Frost's words, but children will embrace the resolution that the artist provides. This charming book shows the unknown situations are not always as frightening as at first they might appear, and that a comforting presence is never far away.