Making Room

A canine narrator measures the changes in his standard of living when his one-man, one-dog household grows to include first a woman, then a cat and, finally, a baby. No Pollyanna, the dog candidly acknowledges turns for the worse: the dog has to yield his spot on the couch to the woman, the cat hides the best toys under the couch and the baby dislodges both cat and dog from the family bed. But he also learns to recognize new benefits (the woman ``plays a great game of chase,'' the cat ``shares his milk (sometimes)'' and the baby ``makes me laugh''). Koehler's message is all the more palatable for its lack of sugarcoating. Her illustrations--tissue and construction paper collages--are both delicate in their treatment of light and pattern and reassuringly substantial in their compositions. Like the theme of her story, her art honors balance and harmony. Ages 2-8. (Mar.)