STELLA LOUELLA'S RUNAWAY BOOK

This cumulative tale from Ernst (Duke the Dairy Delight Dog, 1996, etc.) features Stella, who is all in a dither because she has misplaced her library book. Her father starts the ball rolling when he asks, “Think. Where did you have it last?” The hammock, hoots Stella, but when she and her father get there they learn that Stella’s brother has left the book on the front porch. The three of them rush to the porch only to find that the mailman gave the book to a girl down the street. The four of them, and all the rest who join them, go on a merry chase around town; Stella gets increasingly frantic, and the crowd grows arithmetically. The book is finally located and Stella’s name is still good with Mrs. Graham, the librarian (Stella’s fear of her may be the only overworked element in the story). Treasure hunts are always fun, and this one is made all the more so by the hints that are dropped about the book’s identity. Everyone who reads it likes it, for humorously self-serving reasons, e.g., the diner owner likes the bit about porridge, the fix-it woman likes the part about the broken chair, the new mother likes the notion of a nap. As usual, Ernst’s big, comic illustrations stage the action beautifully, advancing the text and supplying plenty of funny details to pore over. (Picture book. 4-8)