I'M IN THE WEDDING TOO

A book for a well-defined audience—girls looking forward to their first experience as a wedding attendant. Plaisted includes sound etiquette advice (``You should write to the bride and her parents to thank them for including you in such a special day'') accompanied by sample letters; an outline of what to expect before, during, and after the ceremony; and practical suggestions, e.g., hints for dealing with slippery shoes, long dresses, and headpieces, and reminders about posture, fidgeting, and going to the bathroom before the ceremony. Christian, Jewish, and civil ceremonies are mentioned, but Plaisted, perhaps wisely, concentrates on logistics rather than the content of the rites. Softly colored illustrations show a multiethnic assortment of happy people engaged in festivities that look prone to moments of congenial chaos. The straightforward, commonsensical text lapses into silliness only in the final pages, where readers are breathlessly counseled to save a piece of wedding cake to dream on and a heart-shaped space is left blank for a picture of the future spouse. Designed as a gift book, this has a drawback for institutional use—the space inviting children to record their memories. Regardless, it's balanced enough to be read to four-year-old flower girls, or to be read alone by junior bridesmaids. (Nonfiction. 4- 10)