The Antique Store Cat

Youngsters will welcome Alice, star of The Third-Story Cat , in her return for a second life. Here the calico's curiosity leads her to adventure as well as trouble, for `` no means nothing to Alice.'' When a dumbwaiter ride lands Alice in the cellar, she escapes outside through a broken window. Unable to find her way home, the bedraggled animal is rescued from a downpour by a kindly antique shop owner. Alice proceeds to knock over a seemingly valuable statue brought in by a haughty customer but is vindicated when the shattered pieces expose the figurine as a fake. Somewhat thin on plot, this escapade lacks the piquancy charm of Alice's initial foray into the outside world. As in the first book, however, Baker's soft-focus watercolors create a gentle world, capturing feline actions and expressions in purr-fect style. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)