WILLY'S SILLY GRANDMA

From DeFelice (The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker, 1996, etc.), the story of a boy who dismisses his grandmother's superstitions and belief in magic as ``silly'' until he has to face his own fears in the Big Swamp. Willy spends a week testing his grandmother's superstitions: He cuts his toenails on Sunday, sings before breakfast, puts his hats on the bed, and walks around with one shoe on and one shoe off. Nothing happens. On Saturday, Willy strolls through the creepy Big Swamp- -which he's been warned not to do—and encounters the bogeyman. He runs home in terror, finding comfort in his grandmother's arms, and prepared to believe anything she says (especially her reassurance that there is no bogeyman). This may be a refreshing tale about a child's wish to test the rules of authority, or an attempt to scare readers into submission and unquestioning acceptance of adult ways and words. Jackson's illustrations show warm backgrounds and loving faces that seem cast in the light of an oil lamp. The story is well-told; the message is mixed. (Picture book. 3-7)