A brief story, translated from the French, that's a vehicle for attractive, distinctive illustrations. Suzette and Nicholas are searching for their baby brother Choo Choo, and they find him in the garden, entranced by a bird in a tree. Choo Choo follows his older brother and sister as they explore the family's flowerand vegetable gardens. Nicholas tells Suzette the names of the vegetables, and explains the other things they see. As the day ends, the children go to bed, and Nicholas plans what he will teach Suzette tomorrow. This simple, rather dull story is accompanied by delicate, highly patterned drawings that expand and develop the text, though their static quality may limit their appeal; their draftsmanship, however, is exquisite, and children will enjoy the wealth of detail contained in the pictures. The garden scenes especially are rich and luxuriant--Suzette and Nicholas look like porcelain-doll figures imposed on a riotous nature--and the text on each page is surrounded by a border of roses, which contributes to the lush, somewhat overblown effect. One wishes only for more variety of moods in the illustrations; the two lovely, dreamy bedtime scenes that close the book are a teaser. But charming and, within its limits, a bargain.