FRANNY B. KRANNY, THERE'S A BIRD IN YOUR HAIR

Lerner and Goldhor, the sisters behind What's So Terrible About Swallowing an Apple Seed? reunite for a well-trod tale of a girl who marches to her own drummer. Joining a rash of recent picture books about unruly hair, this volume also features a heroine who likes her locks. Despite occasional inconveniences (getting caught in refrigerator doors, making her schoolmates sneeze, etc.), "Franny B. Kranny loved her long, frizzy hair," and resolutely resists attempts to cut it. However, when she's carted off to be coiffed for a family reunion, the hairdresser piles her carrot-colored curls atop her head and, on the way home, a bird takes up residence there ("You look like a birdbrain!" says her sister). Naturally, contrary Franny insists on letting her feathered guest stay and, bracingly self-confident as ever, swans into the party, where she's soon basking in attention—including that of a news crew. Oxenbury's humorous, cartoonish illustrations nail every detail, from the flashy Mrs. Kranny's perfect manicure to the contrast between free-spirited Franny and her goody-two-shoes sister. Ages 4-8. (May)