LILLY'S SECRET

Feline Lilly has a secret that she's been able to keep until her catty neighbor, Coco, comes to tea. Jealous of Lilly's date with handsome Joey, Coco points out that Lilly's paws are ""funny."" Suddenly, in Lilly's eyes, her paws seem enormous and ugly. Her self-consciousness makes her try to cover them up, but to no avail. When Joey asks for another date, her only thought is ""how will I hide my paws?"" And poor Joey can't understand why Lilly refuses to hold his paw all evening. Joey is warm and caring when Lilly finally confides her problem to him. He assures her that he has always known about her imperfections and loves her anyway. Could it be that having a crooked tail has taught him to look beyond the external? Through Lilly, Joey, and Coco, Imai (Little Lumpty, not reviewed) has found a fine way to teach children what qualities are truly important.