Eppie M. Says ...

Ben Salem is as exuberant and curious a boy as anyone is likely to find. He is also entirely under the spell of his older sister, Eppie M., who ``knows how to read'' and gives freely of her knowledge and opinions to all. Eppie M. tells her brother that if he shuts his eyes and walks backward he will reach Australia; the fact that he ends up ``in the pig wallow'' in no way diminishes Ben's faith in his sister. After all, he knows a falsehood when he hears one: ``Eppie M. says that babies fall from the sky on rainy days in September,'' but Ben knows full well that they are found under rocks. The outlandish antics of the two siblings brim with rural charm and clever visual asides, such as the old lady who levitates calmly over the barnyard reading a book entitled Float, You Can Do It!. Precise, delicately hued illustrations possess an antic flair that is both invigorating and entertaining. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)