SOMETHING FOR JAMES

A mysterious, shy creature arrives in a brown paper bag on toddler James's doorstep. It has big dark eyes and long soft ears and a nice round tummy, but it won't come out, even when it gets a little damp in the pond. The wise old stuffed bear, who has ``the comforting smell of muffins and cocoa,'' is summoned and coaxes Something out and welcomes it with a mug of warm milk. Children will have a wonderful time trying to guess what's in the bag and will hotly debate the identity of Something until it finally appears. While this gentle episode is reminiscent of the Pooh stories in the way toy animals are characters with distinct personalities and interact with the rosy-cheeked, tousle-headed James, newcomer Reed works in a style that recalls Jane Hissey's Old Bear (1986) and its successors. In his cozy watercolors, sunlight illuminates the warm textures of wood and stone as well as the lushness of an English garden. In the final pages, the entire menagerie is bedded down in James's room, washed in the silvery blue of a full moon. Sweet suspense—even sweeter reassurance. (Picture book. 4-8)