Sunday

It was Saturday when beginning readers first met Barney and Grandpa and Grandma Spanielson for a day full of pranks and high spirits. Now it is Sunday, and Cazet pokes fun at passing the church collection plate, playing Bingo and eating a traditional breakfast of pancakes. He also manages to mingle a little science with the unrestful day, an act that leaves Mrs. Piggerman's oversize underwear flying from a television antenna. While no one will doubt that Cazet's open-hearted invitation to all the antics is sincere, this sequel doesn't have the tight phrasing and plotting necessary to the easy-to-read format. And the Spanielsons should have enjoyed a full-color weekend day, even if it meant diverging from the black-and-white artwork of Sunday's predecessor. Ages 6-9. (March)