ANNIE BANANIE

As Annie Bananie prepares to move away, her best friend remembers in rhyme the special moments of their friendship. More than half the fun here is conveyed by the pictures, which at first glance appear to be quickly tossed off watercolor washes featuring shapeless, featureless figures. But Cornell's squiggles and dashes create a totally lovable character--red-haired, bespectled Annie Bananie, who swings from clotheslines and walks her pet porcupine. The artist's paintbox produces a midnight space walk, a bubble bath, a darkened movie theater, and sandy beaches. Readers will love Annie's gaily patterned wardrobe and her porcupine, who is only briefly mentioned in the text but sneaks into half the pictures. The rhyming text has a Mother Goose meter that begs to be read aloud as well as again and again. An auspicious debut for a new illustrator, and sheer pleasure for young and not-so-young friends.