WILLIAM THE VEHICLE KING

From his first appearance, socks half off and a red car bulging out of his back pocket, preschooler William is full of energy and imagination. Observed by a cat, he rummages in an overflowing toy box to find a fascinating array of toy cars, trucks and construction machines, all appropriately described in the text, and deploys them along roads outlined in blocks and bridged by a sneaker, or himself. Rogers' bright, relaxed illustrations in rough pencil and watercolor convey all the concentration and enthusiasms of a small boy totally involved in an essential task--learning by having fun. This vignette will never change the world, but it should delight its intended audience.