cover image The Trouble with Henriette

The Trouble with Henriette

Harry Devlin, Wende Devlin. Simon & Schuster, $15 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-02-729937-3

``The trouble with Henriette,'' according to Jolie's grandfather, ``is that she can't find a truffle.'' For a French truffle hound, that spells failure--and also spells this particular pooch's imminent replacement with a more efficient model. But the canny canine surprises everyone by locating truffles once more, albeit in a comically inappropriate setting. The Devlins, creators of the Cranberryport series, enliven their pet-in-jeopardy tale with an engaging dose of Gallic charm in both text and pictures. Harry Devlin composes buildings, interiors and characters with architectural precision; his ink-and-watercolor illustrations abound with minute, often amusing details. His frequently muted colorations plus the characters' stock cartoony faces give this book an old-fashioned appearance, while Henriette's redemption adds a measure of warmth. If youngsters need to be educated about gourmandise to grasp Henriette's plight, that's but a truffle, er, trifle. Ages 4-7. (May)