Annie & Co.

This gentle, nostalgic fantasy tells the story of Annie and her pony-cart repair shop. Her father fixes things, and Annie, quietly confident that she can, too, sets off to prove it. And she does: a goose's broken wing, a town-hall bell without a clapper, even a wedding without a minister. After a full day of unusual problems--each solved with creative flair--she falls happily asleep while her pony pulls the cart home. McPhail's warm and sometimes funny story is fittingly accompanied by his characteristically evocative watercolors and small black-and-white drawings tucked in with the text. Bucolic endpapers show Annie on the open road, while a map traces the route of her entrepreneurial journey. Even the small size seems just right for this gem of a book. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)