Maisy's ABC

Once again Cousins deftly demonstrates her understanding of kids, as-with the help of amusingly designed flaps and tabs-her winsome mouse character (Maisy Goes to School, etc.) puts a beguiling twist on the alphabet-book genre. The fun begins on the first spread: as Maisy sails the ocean blue, an ``alligator'' lies in wait behind the liftable sail of her ``boat.'' On the opposite page, a ``crab'' lurks behind an underwater plant and a pull-tab ``dolphin'' jumps from the water. Other scenarios include a fetching full-spread closeup of Maisy (typifying a ``mouse,'' of course) with a ``ladybird'' crawling across her ``nose.'' With their vibrant colors and thick outlines, Cousins's trademark childlike illustrations suit this format to a ``t'' (train). Ages 3-up. (Mar.)