The Golden Locket

Miss Teaberry leads a simple life, until her cat finds a golden locket. After losing a day's work trying on dresses to go with it and a night's sleep worrying about burglars, she decides to give the bauble, anonymously, to the ``enchanting young girl in the town down the road.'' She thus sets in motion a seemingly neverending succession of gifts received in return--from puppies to a parrot to a flea-ridden ox, each of which proves more troublesome than its predecessor. The harried heroine's solution provides a warm-hearted, satisfying cap to this whimsical, albeit overlong, cumulative tale. Though some children may enjoy the repetition here, it may strike others as too much of a good thing. Greene's crisp narrative suits the plot's agility and ironies, while Sewall's folksy gouache and ink artwork adds its own wit and rustic charm. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)