The Forest Is a Perfect Place for Bambi's Hide and Seek

Hide-and-seek is a beloved childhood game that tends to lose its luster after a while, at least if you only have a typical house and yard in which to hide. Under those circumstances, the hiding places run out pretty fast. But out in the forest, I would think it would be a game that would remain fun far longer since there are so many spots where one can crouch or sneak inside a crack or crevice. Bambi and Thumper are certainly having a good time of it in the Step Into Reading book Bambi’s Hide and Seek.

This Super Early book is designed for children who are just taking the first steps in getting used to the written word. Illustrator Isidre Mones is responsible for the bulk of the story, while Andrea Posner-Sanchez provides the simple words to which children can respond. In some cases, it’s only one or two words per page, while some pages include up to two sentences of several words each.

Many of these are repetitive; the bulk of the story involves Bambi looking for Thumper, and each time he finds another creature instead, we see the words “That is not Thumper!” or “You are not Thumper!” There’s a definite rhythm to the story as Bambi discovers a new potential hiding spot, unearths another animal and realizes that Thumper is someplace else. The format is very similar to the Eric Hill book Where’s Spot?, but that is a lift-the-flap book and this isn’t. In fact, flaps would have been a fun way to make this book more interactive, but then it wouldn’t have fit in with the Step Into Reading Series.

I’ve never seen a Bambi book with hokey illustrations; it seems this natural setting inspires greater artistry. While Bambi, Thumper and the other forest creatures are not quite as detailed as they are in the movie or the Disney Bunnies line of books about Thumper, they are adorable, and the backgrounds are lush and quite lovely, especially the purplish sky in the two-page spread in which Bambi counts while Thumper runs off to hide. All told, the book features 14 pictures spread across two pages as well as one final illustration on a single page.

I’m not sure if this is an oddity of the copy I got or if it’s across the board, but while for the most part, the colors are very bright, the second spread is washed out, with Bambi particularly looking pale and almost ghostly compared to the robust browns on the rest of the pages. That small complaint aside, however, Bambi’s Hide and Seek is a vibrant book with a simple narrative that can draw young children in and perhaps inspire them to play a game of their own.