Too Much Mush!

In this retelling of a German folktale, Hanna and her mother are so poor and hungry that when they sleep they dream of the luscious foods they miss: ``bubbling beans, salad greens'' and ``peas and beets, roasted meats.'' But because they are not greedy, what they yearn for most is a simple bowl of mush. One day, while searching for some nuts and berries, Hanna finds a magic pot that will fill itself upon command, then turn off at the correct password. As in many such tales, where once there was not enough, now there is bounty; the town is soon a sea of Hanna's porridge. Levine's account of the story is cheerful and bouncing, warmly embellished by Parkinson's uncluttered watercolors. The scenes of the mush flowing through the town add a good dose of mischief. Ages 2-7. (June)