James and the Rain

As the expression goes, ``Everything old is new again,'' and two publishers are taking that adage literally for a pair of May releases. In the case of James and the Rain, British artist Reg Cartwright (Mr. Potter's Pigeon) adds whimsically rambunctious new illustrations to Karla Kuskin's droll verse, originally published in 1957 (Simon & Schuster, $15, ages 3-7 ISBN 0-671-88808-0). At Dial, meanwhile, a classic fairytale retains its artwork but receives a new telling--Diane Stanley's stylish paintings continue to grace Petrosinella: A Neapolitan Rapunzel, but now her own narrative spin replaces John Edward Taylor's 1847 translation, used in the book's 1981 publication ($14.99, 32p, ages 4-8 ISBN 0-8037-1712-1).