RUTHIE'S BIG OLD COAT

When Ruthie's cousin bestows upon her an old red coat she is dismayed to find that, in addition to being old, it is way too big! Off she goes to commiserate with her neighbor and friend, Fiona. Lacome's (The Shape of Things, not reviewed) little rabbits are swept up by their imagination as they zip themselves together in the capacious red coat. They have a ball pretending to be a big red air balloon and thoroughly enjoy tottering through the four-legged turkey trot. They laugh and play with abandon until Ruthie quite suddenly finds she has to go to the bathroom. The zipper (Uh oh!) is jammed! So the two girls must hobble to the bathroom together. Some readers may be somewhat surprised when Ruthie and Fiona remain joined in the coat while Ruthie remedies her problem by sitting on the toilet while Fiona looks away giggling, but they’ll find themselves chuckling along with them. The author illustrates that, with just a little originality and fancy, one can turn something shunned into a treasure and have a good time doing it. Her artwork, buoyant with spring color, is a nice compliment to the text and captures the closeness of childhood best friends. (Picture book. 5-7)