NORA AND MRS. MIND-YOUR-OWN-BUSINESS

Last year's Busybody Nora, who has already made friends with the other 200 occupants of her apartment building, wins even stern Mrs. Mind-Your-Own-Business (really Mrs. Ellsworth) when her parents are desperate for a babysitter and Mrs. E. becomes a pretend fairy godmother for Nora and four-year-old Teddy. Other episodes in Nora's happy urban childhood involve watching the holes being dug for city trees, going from door to door dispensing treats on Halloween, sleeping (""for privacy"") in a refrigerator carton, coping during a power failure, and catching her parents playing tooth fairy. The good feelings come a little too easily (though in reality Jeschke's paunchy gnomes would be hard to love), but Hurwitz has a light touch and a feel for the homey everyday adventure.