Freddy Goes to Florida

#166
Title: Freddy Goes to Florida
Author: Walter R. Brooks
Publisher: Overlook
Year: 1997 (reprint of 1927)
208 pages

A sweet children's book about a group of farm animals who decide to migrate to Florida for the winter. First published in 1927, the animals' adventures are delightfully innocent by contemporary standards. The bad people are rough-looking men, most people are kind to the animals (at times the tale reminds one of 1941's Make Way for Ducklings), there are few cars, and one subplot requires a phaeton. A number of passages reminded me of The Hobbit, particularly because Freddy the Pig makes up little songs about the group's adventures. In addition, a fight among some robbers evokes the fight between Tolkien's trolls. A fast read for an adult, and probably fun to read aloud with a child.