The other morning, two deer bounded through our yard. Living in Brush Prairie, my husband and I often see deer, but being able to watch them right outside our windows is a special treat. Our fruit trees are a big draw come late summer, so it isn’t uncommon to have a doe and her fawn lingering around the low-hanging apple branches. This is one of the things I absolutely love about living away from the city.
As you know, I am a huge fan of picture books — especially animal titles — and this week’s book, “Kate & Pippin: An Unlikely Love Story,” just melts my heart. I’m not sure there is anything much cuter than a fawn, and when I read about Pippin, a helpless fawn abandoned by her mother, and the unusual relationship she develops with a Great Dane, the pointer on my scale of adorableness zoomed off into infinity.
The author and his wife, Isobel, tell Pippin’s story with simple text and charming photographs. When Pippin was discovered by Isobel, she watched it for three days before realizing that the fawn’s mother was not going to return. The baby was hungry and scared, so Isobel decided to rescue her. After gently carrying the fawn to her home, Isobel placed newly-named Pippin next to Kate, her Great Dane. Almost immediately, Kate nuzzled and licked Pippin like she was her puppy, and Pippin responded by snuggling in next to her new mom.
This all sounds very cute, I know, but you have to see the accompanying photographs to fully appreciate how big Kate and little Pippin turn an unlikely pairing into a lifelong friendship. Pippin eventually returned to the wild, but she continues to pay visits to the Springetts, spending extra time with her adoptive mom, Kate. This is truly one of the sweetest picture books I’ve ever read, and I’m pretty sure parents and little ones alike will smile all the way through this delightful tale.
