Kipper

Inkpen's flair for creating affable animal characters is again evident in this brief tale of a dog who, in a fit of housecleaning, clears his stuffed rabbit, ball, bone and ``smelly old blanket'' out of his basket. But unable to get comfortable in his empty sleeping quarters, he ventures outdoors to find a new resting place. Kipper attempts to squeeze into a flowerpot, where some wrens have nested; make a nest of sticks, just like the squirrels; snuggle down in the grass, alongside a sheep; and balance, frog-like, on a lily pad. Finally the frustrated pooch rushes indoors, where he hides under ``his lovely old smelly blanket'' and curls up amid his well-worn possessions. With its large print and short, perky sentences, this warmhearted, there's-no-place-like-home story is well suited for beginning readers. It's also a satisfying read-aloud for littler ones. Ages 3-8. (Apr.)