Roger Takes Charge!: 9

Nobody likes a bullyRoger pig certainly doesn't. When his mother leaves Roger in charge of his little brother Nelson, a neighbor offers the services of her daughter Flo. Flo won't play what the boys want; she picks games only she can win. And she's verbally abusive when Roger loses. When Roger reaches the end of his rope (literally, in a fall from a treeprovoked by Flo), he insists that they play hide-and-seek, which little Nelson has been requesting from the beginning. In the middle of the game, Flo is humiliated and dragged home by her mother. The two brothers are on their own again, and Nelson's adoring look at his older brother, who smiles a broad, smug smile, is worth 1000 words. Gretz's books about Roger the lovable pig are real kid-pleasers, and her bright, colorful illustrations are appealing. Ages 3-7. (April)