SAY HELLO, VANESSA

How Vanessa Mouse brings herself to speak up in class--and makes a friend in the bargain, though previously she's failed with a too-small hello (Lisa Goat just says ""What?"") and then a too-loud one (Sigmund Toad hops off with his hands in his ears). Now, however, Quincy Moose is so impressed with Vanessa's spelling of ""tooth"" that he approaches her, and this small success has her tossing greetings right and left all the way home. Just as her mother has said, making friends is only scary the first time--a lesson demonstrated here with a touch of the genre's quick-fix optimism, but also with enough charm and empathy for Vanessa to make readers feel her trepidation and triumph.