LUCY COMES TO STAY

Lucy, a tiny Scottish terrier, is adorable, but she has a lot to learn. Mary Elizabeth is with her at every step—curling up with the woebegone pup in her crate (Lucy isn't allowed in the child's bed); wearing old shoes after Lucy chews her new ones; bathing the pup after she tangles with a pen (``she was too blue to scold''). The outlines may be familiar, but this child and her dog are as winsomely persistent as Wells's beloved Max; readers won't be surprised when Lucy finally gets a turn in her small mistress's bed. Graham catches every bit of the story's charm and humor in freely rendered oils that echo Renoir in their deft modeling and use of light (though Mary Elizabeth has more spunk than Renoir's placid beauties). A natural for sharing aloud. (Picture book. 4-8)