The Sugar-Gum Tree

Wrightson offers a whimsical addition to the canon of female friendship stories. Like most best friends their age, Sarah Bell and Penny May spend as much time at each other's houses as at their own, and nearly as much time fighting as getting along. One particular spat over the creation of a playhouse results in Sarah calling Penny a ``gloop,'' sending the latter up a sugar-gum tree to pout. No amount of parental cajoling or forced apologies from Sarah can convince Penny to descend; even the fire department retreats in failure. In the end of course Sarah retrieves Penny and harmony is blissfully restored--until the next morning. Wrightson's jaunty text pokes good-natured fun at all of the characters: youngsters will delight in recognizing not only the fickleness of their own age group, but also the helpless frustration of parents and other grownups. Cox's sketchlike, black-and-white illustrations enliven the proceedings and impart a jocosity reminiscent of Quentin Blake. The balance between text and art makes this a suitable choice for readers not quite ready to tackle a full-length novel. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)