Merry Christmas, Thomas!

Here's another mischief-maker who just cannot wait for Christmas. Thomas wants a bicycle, and while he senses that none of the packages his mother wrapped and put away are really big enough, he wants to make sure. He unwraps all of them. It's such a mess that Thomas skulks back to bed, where he really should have stayed in the first place. When his parents discover the deed, his father tells him, ""There will be no presents for you this Christmas!'' Thomas is a model cat after that, and he hangs his stocking anyway, hoping that Santa hasn't heard about his not getting presents. Santa comes through and Thomas gets his bike. The gaily-colored scenes of Thomas contritely helping with all the preChristmas preparationsbaking, wrapping, cleaning and stocking-hangingare winsome and funny. (4-8)