Tsugele's Broom

Carey ( The Devil and Mother Crump ) sets her jaunty folktale in a Polish village, where Tsugele, with help from her trusty broom, keeps house for her parents. Deciding it is time for their daughter to marry, they employ a matchmaker, who produces two totally unsuitable suitors. Tsugele concludes she is better off by herself (``find me a man as reliable as my broom and I will marry him''), and leaves home--beloved broom in hand--to become a housekeeper. Before long the girl finds an unexpected soul mate, as Carey resolves this quaint yet strongly feminist story with a whimsical twist. Zimmer ( The Moonbow of Mr. B. Bones ; The Cow Is Mooing Anyhow ) demonstrates his artistic versatility with an intriguing combination of woodblock illustrations and borders and full-toned, playful folk-art drawings. The book's jacket--neon orange woodblock animals poised against a luminous blue background--is particularly captivating. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)