LUCILLE

The author-illustrator of the amusing Mister Muster books (the last was A Holiday for Mr. Muster, 1963, p. 595, J-197) has created a glum plowhorse, Lucille, who is depressed when she sees herself as a "dull and dirty" creature. The farmer's wife who "drinks tea and listens to the radio" all day, sympathizes with Lucille's wishes, and takes her to town where she transforms the horse, via red shoes, straw hat and white dimity, into a lady. Lucille becomes a house dweller, but soon pines for the comfortable outdoors world. A calamitous tea party at which Lucille nearly destroys a few of the guests, results in a return to the unclad life of a plowhorse as a new contented Lucille. The colorful, spontaneous art work combines with the very simple text — words are repeated but not monotonously — to make a forthright belly-laugher for first year readers.