WHO NEEDS HER?

Unabashed in its naivetÉ and illustrated with apt but unassuming black-and-white drawings, this is the story of bright but messy Cynthia (the other children call her ""slob"") whose clothes, ""tired of being thrown around,"" decide to run away. Undaunted, Cynthia goes to school in a plastic trash bag--""all the rage in Italy,"" she tells her classmates, who turn up next day in ""similar bag creations."" For one heady day Cynthia is part of the gang, but then the others return to regular clothes and shun her as usual. ""It was just a fad,"" they say, and ""you really do look queer."" Meanwhile, though, Cynthia's clothes have attached themselves to poor Isabel, who needs them, and when she sees Cynthia shivering on the street she takes her home for hot cocoa. ""I have so many clothes, I could give you half and still have lots to wear."" says Isabel--and so Cynthia learns her lesson, gets as many of her clothes back as she needs, and makes a friend in the bargain. Written by a grown-up art-school graduate who undoubtedly knows what she's about, the story has the air and odd charm of a kid's creation.