Magic Carpet

Sitting on Aunt Agatha's variegated carpet, Elizabeth and her aunt engage in what is clearly a favorite pastime: unraveling the story of how the carpet was acquired. Using an atlas for inspiration, the two take turns adding fanciful twists to the tale, which begins in Beijing, where a man named Frank--dapper in a green plaid jacket and a derby--fills his truck with 1000 magic carpets. The vehicle is placed on an aircraft carrier, which is bound for Alaska, where Frank hooks up with his old college roommate. They drive the truck eastward, stopping only in cities beginning with the letter ``s,'' until they reach Somerville, N.J. There they open an antique store, and sell the very last of the carpets to Aunt Agatha's father. Schwartz's ( Bea and Mr. Jones ; Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner ) pictures are as filled with color and whimsy as the story Elizabeth helps to tell. Like this child, readers will want to hear it pieced together again and again--and perhaps be inspired to add their own embellishments. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)