SHOES FROM GRANDPA

In a lively cumulative rhyme, the well-loved Australian author of Hattie and the Fox (1988) tells how Jessie's family all chip in with other garments after Grandpa gives her new shoes ("I'll buy you a skirt that won't show the dirt, to go with the socks. . ."). In the end, Jessie pleads, ". . .I hate to be mean, but please, would one of you buy me some jeans?" The amusing text is absolutely on-target for the majority of kids who prefer comfortable, wear-anywhere clothes. Mullins' expansive collages are bright and bold, fine for group sharing; she achieves wonderful three-dimensional effects with her various, skillfully employed materials.