Go Ask Giorgio!

To satisfy his large appetite for work, Giorgio wears many hats. He dons a flat blue cap when he runs his gas station; a straw hat is perfect for gardening, and a chef's toque covers Giorgio's head as he prepares the food at his cafe. But in his eagerness to help out when asked, Giorgio's three hats turn into six--he kindly fills in for the mailman, the train conductor and the sardine fisherman. So many jobs make Giorgio a very tired fellow, causing him to relinquish some of his tasks--and hats--to add a nightcap to his collection. Wittman's active, visually descriptive text sets a fetching scene, but her choppy sentences frequently decelerate the proceedings. Hillenbrand's ( Travelling to Tondo ; I'm the Best! ) sunny palette reflects the Mediterranean flavor of an Italian town. His Giorgio is a bearded, sturdy block of a man with an infectious sparkle in his eye; he shines as a picture-book protagonist. Ages 5-9. (Sept.)