MAMA, COMING AND GOING

With a new baby, Mama often doesn't know whether she's coming or going: She forgets to defrost the chicken, lets the tub overflow, and complains that she feels ``like a chicken running around without a head.'' Fortunately, Jenna (who's just learning to read) accepts all this with a good humor to match Mama's own; she splashes happily in the water on the bathroom floor, amuses the baby while Mama finds someone to open the car where he's locked in, and philosophically makes the best of several mishaps en route to a birthday party that, after all, will be next week. Caseley's modeling of creative response to life's normal mistakes and vicissitudes makes an upbeat but still realistic story; her cheerful illustrations extend both the humor and the portrayal of an especially companionable relationship between the frazzled mom and her supportive little girl. (Picture book. 4-8)