Traveling Again, Dad?

Lorelli, president of the American Tambrands corporation, and movie-poster illustrator Struzan take a can-do approach to the challenges faced by families when a parent has to be away on business. A pet hamster coyly narrates how two girls cope with Daddy's business trip: ``Bethy dreamed of Dad returning home in a few days, so they could all play softball together. Maybe we can all play. I'll play shortstop and our cat, Blinker, can play third base.'' From saying good-bye to tracking Dad's travels on a map on the fridge to faxing him at the hotel, the concept gets stretched a mite thin. Struzan's snapshot-style illustrations of an overemotive family are rendered mostly in black and white, with the hamster and other selected elements in color to liven things up, and they match the text in their glibness. Ages 2-up. (Dec.)