HARRY AND CHICKEN
by Dyan Sheldon & illustrated by Sue Heap
Harry, an extraterrestrial disguised as a talking cat, invites himself home with Sara Jane (``Chicken''), who does her best to keep him hidden since her mother hates cats. But Harry's insatiable appetite makes it hard to keep him secret; once he's discovered, Chicken gets to keep him after all: Trying to explain that he's an alien, she inadvertently convinces her parents that she's desperately lonely and needs a pet. Heap's frequent illustrations, sketched with an agile and vigorous pen, enliven the format, but—given the subject matter- -this is remarkably pedestrian; one can't help wishing for a zany raconteur like Daniel Pinkwater. A sequel to follow. (Fiction. 8-10)