THE LITTLE RED TRAIN

... runs between the French towns of St. Tropez and Ste. Maxime."" The idea of the book runs a familiar track through nursery school and kindergarten skills. It teaches the seven days of the week, the four seasons and the twelve months of the year -- one mention a piece. Presumably, re-reading the book will chug the lessons home. That is, if the adult reader can take repetitions of Little Red's exclamations which are of the, ""Toot, toot! Puff-puff! Ting-a-ling!"" variety. The days and seasons are rural French, with handsowing of grain in March, its harvest by swung sickle in July and field plowing by one horse team in November. ""In December, the birds depart."" Seems a bit off kilter and outside our schedule for the days, too. The charcoal and pink drawings are as pleasantly bland as the text.