Santa Cow Island

COW-a-bunga! Surf's up with a vengeance in this welcome return of those enigmatic gift-giving bovines from Santa Cows. This book picks up where the first left off (``'Twas the day after Christmas''), with mom Schwartz hankering for ``warmer climes.'' So the family sets off to Santa Cow Island, flying Cow-back by way of New York, St. Louis and San Francisco. Somewhere near Hawaii, they descend for surfing, tennis, snorkeling and ``the ultimate thrill, outrigger canoeing,/ With Schwartzes and Cows bonding, chanting, and mooing.'' They swim with dolphins, golf, watch high-diving Cows and play beach volleyball-the fun enhanced by Lane's daffy, luminous watercolors. Fans of the earlier book-and others with a taste for quirky rhymes and sly references to pop culture-will greet this bizarre sequel with much jubilation. Distinctly aMOOsing. Ages 7-up. (Sept.)