SIMPKIN
by Quentin Blake & illustrated by Quentin Blake
A rambunctious boy enacts a series of opposites succinctly set in verse (``Simpkin WARM and Simkin CHILLY/Simkin SENSIBLE and SILLY/And sometimes when we stand and call/Simpkin JUST NOT THERE AT ALL'') and elaborated to hilarity in Blake's happy-go- lucky art—e.g., above, Simpkin's waiting sister abruptly changes the temperature of the shower he's enjoying. An entertaining portrait that's also an imaginative lesson in antonyms, presented with panache; once again, Blake's expressive, deftly scribbled drawings, enhanced with sparkling color, are a delight. (Picture book. 3-7)