Where Are You Going, Jimmy?

Dowling transforms the ordinary into occasion for wonder in this prepossessing picture book. A series of straightforward questions, like that posed by the title, shapes Jimmy's daily exploits in his neighborhood, where the attractions range from passing trains to abandoned cars to pastured cows. What gives the story its character is the off-the-cuff nature of the boy's answers, which are never a bald Yes or No: ``Are you going to visit your granny? . . . I'm going to wave at her through the window.'' Jimmy's exuberance finds its match in the pleasingly simplified artwork. Stylized perspectives and a varied palette suggest a child artist eager to try out all the crayons in the box; a closer look shows Dowling's careful shading and well-balanced composition. At the end, vicarious venturing may well be stimulated by a foldout map situating all the local landmarks. Ages 3-up. (Feb.)