Mo to the Rescue

Sheriff Mo of Smith Pond does more than maintain law and order. He's kind and considerate, always going beyond his duties to help neighbors in need. Osborne's droll, tender chronicles of events at the pond join the aptly named Easy-to Read Books, treasures for beginners. In DiSalvo-Ryan's tuned-in color pictures, children see Mo making lonesome Chicken Lucille at home, taking her to Aunt Minnie Raccoon's rooming house, where the new girl finds friends. Other scenes prove that the sheriff is protecting the citizens from a terrible monster (his shadow), then cleverly stopping a quarrel between blue jays; the law man is ever on the alert. When Mo goes to ""faraway places'' for a rest, the others all follow and wait for their trusty officer to come back. (48)