MICHELLE CARTLIDGE'S BOOK OF WORDS

In this standard word book from Cartlidge (A Mouses's Diary, 1982, etc.), a family of mice are followed through some typical events: getting dressed, going to school, shopping, attending a birthday party for Brother Mouse. Although Cartlidge provides useful words for beginning readers, hipper parents might be less than enamored of the conventional picture of mouse family life portrayed. True, Father Mouse helps make cupcakes in the kitchen. But who's making breakfast in the morning and looking after Baby Mouse? Mother Mouse and Sister Mouse, of course. The female mice also all wear dresses, but that is unavoidable since these critters are practically identical. Keeping track of the main characters becomes difficult, too. (It doesn't help when they change clothing, that being the only thing that distinguishes one from another.) Finally, Cartlidge should be more careful to make all the words clear. Children will not be able to read ""peppers"" and ""mushrooms,"" or many of the other foods in the ""Grocery Store"" two-page spread. Legibility is a small thing to demand in a book of words. The only surprises here are disappointing.