THE BIG GREEN POCKETBOOK

When they board the bus to town, Mama takes her big blue pocketbook; the narrator's pocketbook is just like it—but green and empty. So it's all ready for memorabilia of the trip: punched tickets, a lollipop from the bank, a form from the insurance company, where she's allowed to use the typewriter, a tiny calendar from the cleaner, new crayons. The little girl is so sleepy, though, that she leaves it all on the bus. No problem: on his return trip, the driver drops it in the mailbox, where the child later leaves a thank you for him, drawn with her new crayons. A cozy, satisfying tale of an orderly world—simply told and illustrated with pictures in which the cheerful faces and tidy, spacious design nicely reflect the text's sunny flavor. (Picture book. 3-7)