FOUR FIERCE KITTENS

In an elaboration on the model set forth in Flack's Angus and the Ducks (1930), four kittens brave the world. Each tries to scare a farm animal with the sound of a jungle animal, but comes up with only an ineffective ""miaow""; in the end, they're all chased by geese--but then, hissing and spitting, manage to frighten a pup. Several animal voices are neatly worked into the nicely shaped story, affording young listeners a chance to join in; in the simple pen and watercolor illustrations, the animals are lively and genuinely cute, without sentimentality. A good choice for the youngest story group.