Cissy Lavender

City-dweller Cissy Lavender is thrilled at the prospect of housesitting for a country gentleman, but her vacation turns out to be less restful than she'd imagined. One of the cats gets into a can of paint and leaves green paw prints on the garden path; she has a run-in with the laundry and accidentally dyes the sheets and tablecloths green; and then there's the matter of the pond at the bottom of the garden. Cissy's misadventures are cute but fail to win any big laughs, and readers may find themselves wishing Amelia Bedelia would show up. Clark's illustrations are a bit stiff, and her people wide-eyed to the point of spaciness, but they are pleasantly nostalgic and her soft palette exudes English country charm. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)