Matilda the Moocher

What are next-door neighbors for? According to Matilda, they are entitled to ride your bike, barge in on your picnics and eat all the sandwiches, and even wear your favorite socks. But Libby has other ideas and wonders if Matilda is not a friend so much as a ""moocher."" Feeling on the losing end of this apparently one-sided relationship, Libby takes to her bed with a nondescript illness. A surprise visit to her sickroom ultimately helps Libby see Matilda in a new light. In her first outing as a writer, Bluthenthal's (Nana Hannah's Piano) breezy text expertly captures the roller-coaster dynamics of children's friendships, though many will recognize her story line as well as her illustrative style as heavily indebted to Caldecott winner Peggy Rathmann (Bootsie Barker Bites; Ruby the Copycat). While Libby's passivity repeatedly gives an oblivious Matilda the upper hand, her nonverbal tactics for dealing with a distressing situation will surely prove familiar to many readers. Bluthenthal's gouache and pen-and-ink creations feature a chipper palette and depict a smorgasbord of emotions. Her large-headed, tiny-limbed characters range from smug to anxious to laugh-out-loud happy. Backgrounds featuring cozy household furnishings and a bright classroom nicely frame the proceedings. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)