Jan Ormerod's to Baby with Love

Armed with a paintbox and a handful of rhymes and fingerplays, Ormerod ( 101 Things to Do with a Baby ) once again proves how closely attuned she is to a baby's world. The selections (``Two Little Dicky Birds,'' ``What Are We to Do?'' and several others) are little more than fragments, really, but in Ormerod's capable hands they become the perfect excuse for cuddling a child and introducing him or her to the joys of verse. Animals provide the unifying theme, sharing the stage with an infant and two boys (one black, one white). The book is a visual delight; a few deft brush strokes blossom into a familiar menagerie that includes a terrier, a hen and a contented pig, among others, and the rich, bright colors and flat surfaces have a primitive, reassuring coziness just right for this lap-time outing. Chalk up another winner for Ormerod. Ages 6 mos.-up. (Aug.)