HAZEL'S CIRCLE

Hazel's ""circle"" is a neighborhood journey on which, accompanied by her pet rooster, she makes deliveries and exchanges: there are eggs for artist Rae Allen, who paints Hazel's toes and gives her homemade grape juice to carry along; at Bet and Clyde's, she leaves more eggs and some juice and picks up Roger's snake--which she leaves at his house, her last stop, where she also takes a swim before heading home. The cheerful story is packed with charming details, all lovingly recorded in stylized illustrations notable for their glowing colors, lively, decorative design, and many imaginative embellishments--e.g, the rooster's checked bow tie, matching the band on Hazel's hat, and the flowers garlanding many of the scenes. Delightful.