THE GROWING WONDER

A very tiny bone to fight over occupies the interests of illustrator Lolly Ellender, the man of her life, painter Joss Rindel, young, aggressive Jane Morgan and the writer who tells the story of four year old Leo Demming, whose destiny to be an artist is not completely lost in the middle of adult complexities. Motherless, Leo is rejected by his father and Aunt Jane but not ignored; he is adored and encouraged by Lolly who tries to get Joss on Leo's side; he is almost extinguished when Joss becomes blinded by Jane's promotion of Joss' works and when his father remarries --but it is the wedding that reunites Joss with Lolly and saves Leo. Lolly, with her flea hopping mind, rides ""her womanly intuition like a broomstick ""while Jane exposes Leo to schooling for exceptional children and blocks all obstacles in her pursuit of Joss, and it is Lolly who is the lodestone for the little boy and Joss. A sounding board -- of art, education, Village and New York life -- echoes brisk, bright and bubbly chatterings. Feminine and fallible, but fun.