I Love You, Bunny Rabbit

Stained with applesauce and chocolate milk, frayed by chewing and worn to its stuffing, a beloved toy bunny is overdue for a bath. ``Don't worry,'' Micah encourages his go-everywhere pal; ``I've had lots of baths.'' But the rabbit does not come clean, so Mama suggests a trip to the toy store for a replacement. Faced with the profusion of possible substitutes, Micah balks: ``I don't want a new rabbit, thank you.'' He then applies some irrefutable child logic to the situation, and the three return home renewed. Moore's colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations playfully and tenderly accompany Oppenheim's text as it moves from joviality to disquieted attachment to strengthened affection. A winsome tale of love remaining love in spite of dirt and grime. Ages 2-5. (Jan.)