MRS. GOOSE'S BABY

A very brief, simple variation on ""The Ugly Duckling""-demonstrating how much better it is to rework the theme of that old tale than to diminish the original by abridgements for children too young to appreciate it. Mrs. Goose, who has hatched a single egg, loves her baby dearly--even though she grows up to have pointy toes and is a nonswimmer; since Mrs. Goose can still protect her and cuddle her at night, she is perfectly happy. Voake's crosshatched drawings--with delicate watercolor added--are just right for this barnyard mini-drama of differences accepted and affection rewarded; she gives these birds real character, while letting her small readers in from the beginning on the comical truth that escapes only Mrs. Goose: the baby is a chicken.