NIKI'S LITTLE DONKEY

Her father (``Baba'') says they won't be able to keep the donkey's new baby; when he's old enough, he must be sold. Still, Niki's grandmother suggests that Niki might earn the money to buy him. Niki gives up play to ``work like a grownup,'' finding odd jobs in the marketplace or at her uncle's cafÇ; fortunately, when she offers Baba the proceeds, he accepts. The simple story makes a good showcase for Greek island life, represented in Niki's tasks and the economic necessity that makes them valuable. Hol's torn-paper collages, creatively incorporating other materials like newsprint and fabric, capture the village scene in a subtle array of lovely, light hues nicely set off by a soft blue sky that, surprisingly, evokes the dazzled eye's response to the brighter colors. A warmhearted story with a felicitous translation and attractive format. (Picture book. 4-8)