The Random House Book of Bedtime Stories

In a spirited salute to bedtime, this eclectic mix includes old favorites like ""Goldilocks and the Three Bears,"" ""The Gingerbread Boy"" and ""Snow White and Rose Red"" along with an equal complement of such lesser-known tales as Eleanor Farjeon's ""Young Kate,"" Margaret Wise Brown's ""The Dreaming Bunny"" and Joan Aiken's ""The Baker's Cat."" The result is both pleasing and fresh, and will have no difficulty standing up to the sort of repeated dipping eager listeners demand at tuck-in time. Dyer's (Talking Like the Rain; Time for Bed) elfin watercolors, delicate of palette and sprightly in tone, are the frosting on the cake-even if they lack the detail and depth of the artist's best work. Sprinkled liberally throughout the book in a pleasing variety of layouts, the illustrations are both cozy and reassuring, and should help this volume prove an immediate family favorite. Ages 6-up. (Oct.)