Old Jake's Skirts

In this amiable if rambling picture book, a debut for both Scott and Slonim, an unlikely catalyst rejuvenates a pessimistic old loner of a farmer. Traveling into town for his monthly shopping trip, Old Jake discovers a trunk in the road; months later, when no one claims it, he opens it to discover stacks of calico skirts. The spring rains have come, so he uses the skirts to ""drink up"" the water that's leaked into his house. He then takes pieces of the skirts to clothe his scarecrow, patch his overalls and make neckerchiefs for himself and his hound, until Jake's farm looks ""downright merry"" and his spirits lift. By the time the trunk's rightful owner appears, Old Jake has thawed enough to welcome both neighbors and strangers. Lightly turned, authentic-sounding dialect recommends this story as a read-aloud to children who may be put off by the text-heavy pages and leisurely pacing. The thickly textured oil paintings, also folksy in feeling and essentially realistic in their renderings, reward readers with quietly comic flourishes: Old Jake tips his hat to the refurbished scarecrow; one of a troupe of visiting church ladies accidentally steps out of a high-heeled white pump. But such inviting details don't emerge until the story is well under way--patience is required for the verbal and visual engines to kick in. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)