THE OLD RED ROCKING CHAIR

In an amusing circular tale, a discarded chair serves four other people well before returning, unrecognized, to its first owner. Martha puts the chair out with the garbage because it doesn't match her new blue sofa; Sam adopts it until his dog Fergie breaks one of its arms; Sharifa removes the other arm and rocks happily until her cat destroys the seat. Finally, Agnes puts a lovely blue seat on what is now a footstool, and it's bought by Martha.... Sandford brings out the story's homely humor in illustrations with energetic perspectives and sturdy but lively figures that refuse to be confined by their borders. An entertaining choice for sharing, though some of the illustrations are so dark that they are hard to ``read'' from a distance. (Picture book. 4-8)