BABY-O

``New cloth soaking in the big tin tub...Wash and rub./ Wusha Wusha...Sing a song of Mama-O,/ Sing it soft, now, sing it slow...'' In a joyfully swinging chant, the members of a busy Caribbean family are introduced, while Stevenson's deftly scribbled lines evoke their lively movements and the lush setting. Baby is chasing chickens in the garden (``Chuka Chuka''); Brother's playing with toy trucks; Sister's eating mangoes; Granny's weaving baskets (``Plesh Plesh''); and, finally, everything and everybody—including Papa and the fish he's caught—are loaded into ``Baby-o,'' the family jitney (``Putta Putta Clank Clank''), to drive the winding road to market. Children will enjoy chiming in when the onomatopoeic words are all recited again at the end, giving them a chance to remember (for example) that ``Kongada'' is the word for Pappy hoeing. Bursting with tropical color and good cheer, a fine choice for interactive sharing. (Picture book. 2-7)