BOOTSIE BARKER BITES
by Barbara Bottner & illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
A beleaguered small girl recounts her troubles with the daughter of her mother's best friend, who terrorizes her on her frequent visits. Sent to the timid narrator's room to play, Bootsie proclaims herself a dinosaur who will devour the child in whatever form she takes. Finally driven to confide in her mother, the child sensibly translates typical adult advice (``Tell Bootsie you don't want to play that game'') into something Bootsie understands (``I am a PALEONTOLOGIST!...They hunt for DINOSAUR bones''). Rathmann matches Bottner's vigorous telling in colorful art, her vividly expressive characters drawn with bold broken lines while every stance—even the toys'—comically echoes the narrator's feelings. An entertaining, insightful glimpse into a child's real world. (Picture book. 4-8)