FRANK AND IZZY SET SAIL

Opposites make good partners in this low-key tale, where an adventurous rabbit goes camping with her stay-at-home friend, a brown bear. Izzy, an outdoorsy Katherine Hepburn type, arrives at Frank's lakeside house wearing a sailor suit and ready to go boating. Frank, her overcautious counterpart, associates sailing with "shipwrecks and castaways," but he can't deter Izzy from her plan. He fills a large raft with gear ("I like to be prepared"), and they sail to an island where Izzy goes hiking and leaves Frank to set up camp. When Izzy returns with a hurt paw ("A sasquatch bit it," she claims), Frank bandages it and serves a hot dinner. To Frank's delight, Izzy packed his ukulele, and he conquers his shyness to play some nostalgic, bunny-themed songs like "Hoppy Days Are Here Again." Kvasnosky (Zelda and Ivy ) depicts Izzy as the intrepid type who provides spontaneous fun, and Frank as the practical fellow (and a bit of a worrywart) who averts disaster and winds up enjoying himself. The author's gouache-resist paintings feature pale, waxy colors washed over crayony black, creating a quiet, nonthreatening atmosphere that dispels Frank's trepidations. Frank and Izzy's flirty camaraderie resembles that of two old-fashioned adults rather than two children, but their easy-going, give-and-take friendship provides an example for any age. Ages 5-9. (Apr.)