What's Maggie Up To?

Crisp, clean design and effective use of white space characterize this cheerful story of an apartment-house feline that starts behaving in a most peculiar manner. Maggie, a delightful tiger cat, endears herself to all the neighbors by paying friendly visits, enjoying a saucer of milk here, a bit of fish there. When Maggie becomes reclusive and resorts to stealing things like a ball of yarn and a sock off the clothesline, everyone notices. She soon disappears for three days, and curiosity gets the better of the neighbors; following Maggie to her attic lair, they discover the reasons--of the tiny, mewing variety--for Maggie's odd behavior. An appealingly diverse cast of various ages and ethnic backgrounds, all seen through uniquely decorated windows, lends a cosmopolitan air to this blithesome tale. Bernhard's use of flat shapes and brilliantly colored patterns creates an environment of uncommon visual intrigue. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)