POSY BATES, AGAIN!
by Helen Cresswell & illustrated by Kate Aldous
In a second, funnier, appearance, the heroine of Meet Posy Bates (1991) is still as irrepressible as King-Smith's Sophie, with the difference that, where Sophie's determination leads to success, Posy's schemes (despite blameless intentions) land her in hot water. Posy is hoping to keep the stray dog (Buggins) she found earlier; to that end, she tries to prove him useful (e.g., by engineering the baby's disappearance so that Buggins can ``find'' him) and is on her best behavior (though the laundry she washes comes out green). Cresswell is in full comic stride here; though heedless, Posy is clever and warmhearted (she's still concerned about the homeless woman in her neighborhood), while wittily on-target characterizations—especially of the girl and her rather unsympathetic mother Daff—give the absurd shenanigans a secure foundation in genuine human nature. A mid-incident conclusion signifies more to come; it will be welcome. (Fiction. 5-10)on in genuine human nature. A mid-incident conclusion signifies more to come; it will be welcome. (Fiction. 5-10)