Auction!

Going, going, gone! Readers of all ages will be sold on this entertaining picture-book trip to an old-fashioned country auction. When Aunt Lou reads about the county\x92s local auction in the paper, the stage is set for a lively family outing. And things take on a true competitive edge when Miss Logsdon\x97Aunt Lou\x92s long-time auction arch nemesis\x97also shows up for the event. Uncle Bill nearly has conniptions as Aunt Lou gets the fever and outbids Miss Logsdon on several lots. But all the young narrator (Aunt Lou\x92s niece) cares about is a certain straw hat. Things start to look shaky when Miss Logsdon and Aunt Lou start competing for that same hat, though the determined girl with a hard-earned dollar bill in hand (and Aunt Lou\x92s genes) is not about to be denied. Seymour (Hunting the White Cow) serves up his typically vibrant storytelling, made more entertaining by a funny, likeable clan and a colorful, realistic setting. The auctioneer\x92s tongue-twisting patter spills out in a fast-flowing stream of text that readers will enjoy saying out loud. Smith (Old Granny and the Bean Thief) jumps into the fray whole hog with evocative, playful ink-and-watercolor scenes showcasing all manner of trash and/or treasure and its admirers. And everyone walks away a winner\x97what a bargain! Ages 6-9. (May)