MOTHER GOOSE'S LITTLE MISFORTUNES

A charmingly idiosyncratic selection of 18 nursery rhymes that, as Marcus says in his excellent introduction, ""remind us all of the supreme virtue of being able to laugh at oneself. . .[and] recast misfortune so that it looms less large."" Some of the choices here are pleasantly familiar; more are refreshingly less so. In her best illustrations to date, Schwartz swirls the beleaguered but cheerful characters across the pages, deftly delineating forms with an airy line against the generous white that sets off her judicious, sparing use of bright color. There are some splendid compositions, from Peter White following his nose right off the first page to Anna Elise, seen six times as she bounds rhythmically across a double spread; from the vibrantly stylized cats of Kilkenny, all mouths and about to eat each other up, to the wise men of Gotham, who conclude this delightful book by sliding off the round world in their round bowl. Not to be missed.