YOU'RE MY NIKKI

Afraid that her mother—who is starting a new job tomorrow- -will forget about her, Nikki grills her: ``What's my favorite trick?'' ``Who's my favorite friend?'' ``What's my favorite dance?'' Patiently, Mama responds to every question; but next evening she comes home tired and distracted. Deciding that she was right to worry, Nikki sulks until bedtime, when she and Mama exchange apologies. This low-key but deeply felt episode has an obvious situational use, but also shows respectful and believable give and take, on both emotional and intellectual levels, between parent and preschooler. Kastner's paintings place this black family (Nikki has shadowy older sibs) in a neat, spacious middle- class interior with bookcases and a piano but a minimum of other detail; dominated by soft purples and tans that effectively reinforce the mood, the background's simplicity gently focuses attention on the warm relationship. (Picture book. 6-8)