GRANDMA

From a new British illustrator, a cheery intergenerational good time. When the narrator's parents leave her at Grandma's place near the ocean, ``Mom and Dad give her strict instructions to `WEAR ME OUT!''' No problem—Grandma's energy is as boundless as any child's: she puts in a day's worth of baking and cleaning by eight a.m., in time for an active day at the beach, romping like a kid and hanging on to enough residual oomph to cajole her granddaughter back up the hill (``...it's easier if you go sideways, like crabs'') and into a bath. Dexter's sunny illustrations, simply outlined in bold black and filled in with bright watercolor in solid areas with just a suggestion of texture, make a fine complement. A fresh look at a perennial theme. (Picture book. 3-7)