Giving

With warmth and sturdy common sense, these attractive picture books introduce the verbs ``to give'' and ``to bounce.'' Using everyday household scenes, which feature an energetic girl and her sweet-natured baby brother, Hughes places the words in a variety of contexts: ``I gave Mom a present,'' ``I tried to give the cat a ride . . . but she gave me a nasty scratch!'' Undershot with wry humor (``The baby gave me two of his soggy bread crusts. That isn't much of a present!''), these texts are spirited in their teaching. Soft pencil and paint illustrations succinctly capture familiar situations (nursery school, bus ride, visit to the grandparents), and Hughes is especially adept at portraying the undercurrents of emotion in the simplest of actions, imbuing both books with a wonderful sense of family feeling. Ages 2-up. (May)