THE GAGGLE SISTERS RIVER TOUR

Two geese sisters—the sensible, responsible Dorothy and the mercurial, vain Sadie—turn a raft into a showboat for Sadie's singing talents, and set off down the Wriggle River for a series of performances. The trip ultimately reinforces the duo's bonds of affection, but the narrative lingers on Sadie's grating flamboyance—she wears glamorous cats-eye sunglasses and calls her favorite hat "The Green Beret Of Much Loveliness And High Degree Of Style" (which, after a dousing in the river, becomes "A Green Beret Of Much Wetness And High Degree Of Sogginess"). The schoolmarmish Dorothy, meanwhile, remains defined mostly by her reactions to her diva sister: she sighs, placates and solves problems, thus ensuring that Sadie ends the book with a boffo performance by moonlight and candlelight (the music for her signature song, "Listen Up, Moon," can be found on the back of the book). Wordy though the narrative may be, Jackson gets plenty of comic mileage from his rendering of the sisters' beaky countenances and elongated necks. The shimmery blue, green and yellow watercolors bring alive the lazy loveliness of his riparian setting. Ages 4-6. (Sept.)