When Frank Was Four

Readers familiar with Lester's Clive Eats Alligators or Tessa Snaps Snakes will recognize the affable characters whose anecdotal childhood experiences are so fondly celebrated here. Accompanied by single sentences, Lester's characteristically streamlined panel pictures spotlight feats performed by each of seven children during each of his or her first seven years. Some of the incidents are classic misadventures (""When Nicky was one she spilled spaghetti on her head""; ""But Frank parachuted off the garage roof""); some are milestones (""Tessa took her first steps""; ""Clive took off his training wheels""); and some are kid-pleasingly silly (""A kangaroo stole Rosie's french fries""; ""Ernie climbed into the fish tank""). A concluding, colorfully crowded spread presents a counting exercise: pictures of the children are found alongside cumulative sequences of ""their"" objects (for example, Rosie has ""1 cowgirl hat, 2 riding boots,"" etc.). A cheerful book, likely to elicit a new wave of questions from kids who never tire of asking what they did when they were ""little."" Ages 2-8. (Mar.)