THE LADY WHO SAW THE GOOD SIDE OF EVERYTHING

I always wanted to take a trip down the river"" pipes the little old lady as she and her cat, dinging precariously to a bare logo are swept away in a flood. Although the cat clearly feels his luck has run out, the lady enjoys drifting across the ocean and is delighted to wash ashore in China--what a wonderful opportunity to visit the Great Wall (""as magnificent as I had hoped""). Incidentally or not, we were reminded of an old Zen story and so weren't too surprised to see the old lady contentedly setting up housekeeping Chinese style, murmuring ""the rain will make the rice grow better."" Galdone makes the most of the contrast between wild, shifting panoramas and the lady's cozy outlook, so whether or not you can share her equanimity, this unflappable eccentric should go a long way.