GREETINGS FROM SANDY BEACH

The Children's Book Council of Australia's ``Picture Book of the Year'' (1990) is a delightfully offbeat portrayal of a family of four at the beach for the weekend, with details that are perfectly plausible yet unlike the usual clichÇs. At the campsite, the neighbors on one side are the ``Disciples of Death,'' a booted, unwholesome-looking trio with a small dog in goggles and a blanket draped over their motorcycles in lieu of a tent. ``Stay away,'' warn the parents—but the Disciples are the first to pitch in when help is needed, and by the second night they're all chatting companionably together. Meanwhile, the adults have genially joined in the children's imaginative play and the narrator has also made friends with the most truculent of a busload of schoolchildren, camping with their teacher. With his own unique style, Graham rivals James Stevenson in his ability to conjure a scene or a character in a few deft, relaxed lines. A worthwhile message presented in a comically realistic vignette with lots of child appeal. (Picture book. 4-8)