THREE LITTLE KITTENS

Janovitz (the Little Fox books) here pays faithful homage to the Mother Goose feline trio with the text, while revealing a humorous back story through full-bleed illustrations. The kittens, drawn in fine line against a pastel-toned background, have soft pink cheeks and fluffy white bellies as they cavort near the flower bed, tossing their mittens into the air. When the three lose their mittens, observant readers may spot them scattered in the tree, the flowerbed and on the fence. "What! Lost your mittens,/ you naughty kittens!/ Then you shall have no pie," says their mother when they report the news. Young readers will enjoy helping the kittens with their mitten-finding quest, and their mother rewards them with slices of blueberry pie. Even as the mother scolds her offspring, her nurturing manner always feels welcoming, and the kittens come across as winningly dedicated to play rather than mischief. Ages 3-6. (Aug.)