My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas

Revisiting the fond childhood memories she mined so successfully in On the Pampas , Brusca again opens the door on a corner of the world not often frequented by American children's books, her native Argentina. Here, she tells of life on a ranch, far from her family's home in Buenos Aires, which her mother bought and managed. For an adventuresome girl and her equally spirited brother, the ranch is heavenly--there are horses to ride and a buggy to drive, places to explore, chores to be done and gauchos' stories to hear. There's drama, too: a cow's calf is delivered by cesarean (the illustrations are tasteful, but fairly graphic) and a spooky nighttime horseback ride. Brusca's kinetic watercolors always seem to be in motion; her spiky, cartoon-like style is imbued with color and energy. Particularly attractive endpapers display maps, a glossary and an explanation of the reverse seasons in the Southern hemisphere. Ages 6-10. (Mar.)