For Diana Wynne Jones Fans

For those just embarking on their first Diana Wynne Jones odyssey as well as for repeat visitors, here's good news all around: the Chrestomanci Books and the Dalemark Quartet sport new artwork on both hardcover and paperback editions. The Chrestomanci Books—with cover art visually linking them with Mixed Magics (reviewed above)—begin with Charmed Life, which introduces Gwendolen Chant, a witch destined for Great Things, and her brother, Cat, both of whom are summoned to Chrestomanci Castle, a fortress filled with necromancers. The Lives of Christopher Chant provides back story, detailing the magician Chrestomanci's boyhood. The Magicians of Caprona continues the cycle with the Montana brothers, Tonino and Paolo; and in Witch Week, an anonymous note reveals a witch in the midst of classroom 6B, and Chrestomanci is called upon to save her. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $15.95 each 288p ages 10-up Charmed ISBN 0-06-029876-6; Chant -029877-4; Magicians -029878-2; Witch -029879-0; HarperTrophy, paper $5.95 each Charmed ISBN 0-688-15546-4; Chant -16365-3; Magicians -16613-X; Witch -15545-6; Apr.)

Omnibus paperback editions combine two Chrestomanci novels in each volume: Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant make up The Chronicles of Chrestomanci: Volume I; Volume II has The Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week. (HarperTrophy, $6.95 each 496p Vol. I ISBN 0-06-447268-X; Vol. II -447269-8)

Jones's The Dalemark Quartet, which focuses on four heroic young people attempting to reunify the nation of Dalemark, appears with glorious new covers, on the hardcovers and paperbacks, that show off the country's coastline: Cart and Cwidder; Drowned Ammet; The Spellcoats; and The Crown of Dalemark. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow; $16.95 each ages 12-up Cart ISBN 0-06-623745-9; Ammet -029872-3; Spellcoats -029873-1; Crown -029874-X; HarperTrophy, $5.95 each Cart ISBN 0-06-447313-9; Ammet -447314-7; Spellcoats -447315-5; Crown -447316-3; Apr.)

All A-Board!

Three picture books now come in a board book format, just right for the smallest hands. When Mama Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli, illus. by Jane Dyer, begins, "When Mama comes home from work, dear child,/ when Mama comes home tonight,/ she'll cover you with kisses,/ she'll hug you sweet and tight." The rituals between mother and child are depicted through warm, nostalgic illustrations. (S&S/Little Simon, $7.99 30p ages 1-5 ISBN 0-689-84220-1; Apr.)Miss Mary Mack, adapted by Mary Ann Hoberman and illus. by Nadine Bernard Westcott, will have young ones singing along as they watch Mary Mack befriend the elephant and place her "silver buttons, buttons, buttons,/ Down his nose, nose, nose." (Little, Brown/Tingley, $5.95 24p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-316-36642-0; Apr.) Another song worth singing, Eric Carle's Today Is Monday, begins with string beans on Monday and spaghetti on Tuesday. Different animals eat their way through the week, teaching the names of the days as they go. Music and lyrics included. (Philomel, $6.99 32p ages 1-3 ISBN 0-399-23605-8; Apr.)

Concepts on Board

Starting with the smallest board books, Todd Parr contrasts Black & White and BIG & little. In both books, his signature bold black line pops from neon-bright pages. The first pairs black and white in related drawings: a "black cow" shares a spread with "white milk," "black boots" with "white underwear." On the last pages, a "zebra" and a "penguin" show the intersection of the colors. Parr similarly treats sizes in the second title: he pairs a "BIG TRUCK" with a "little tricycle," a "BIG CAKE" with a "little cookie" and, on the last spread, a "BIG MOMMY" next to a "little baby." (Little, Brown/ Tingley, $4.95 each 14p ages 6mos.-3yrs. ISBN 0-316-69225-5; -69291-3; Apr.)

The theme continues with Bob Staake's My Little Opposites Book. With modern, crisp illustrations, children see a "big" dinosaur looking at a "little" bird flying over to say hello and a boy going "up" in a rocket ship and "down" in his parachute. In My Little Color Book, a "red fox" practically jumps off the page, as does a "green alligator," whose mouth is open wide. (S&S/ Little Simon, $4.99 each 14p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-689-83487-X; -83486-1; Apr.)What Color Is That, PiggyWiggy? and Count to Ten, PiggyWiggy!, by Christyan and Diane Fox present concepts within a story. "PiggyWiggy wants to make Teddy laugh. Can you guess who he is going to be?" As PiggyWiggy dons orange suspenders and a crazy purple bow tie, against color-coded backgrounds, he transforms into a colorful clown. In the second title, children count to 10 while watching PiggyWiggy make a surprise birthday cake for Teddy. "He takes ONE big mixing bowl" and finishes by placing "TEN bright candles. HOORAY!" Humorous illustrations with thick black lines and solid blocks of color add a lot of fun to both books. (Handprint [Chronicle, dist.], $5.95 each ages 3-6 ISBN 1-929766-17-3; -18-1; Apr.) Monster fans can count up to 10 with One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe, illus. by Lynn Munsinger. The expressions on the boy and on the monsters bring this book to life. Once the boy assembles all 10 ravenous beasts, he brings out different amounts of food (including "5 pickled pears"), allowing readers to count to 10 again. (Little, Brown, $5.95 10p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-316-60804-1; Apr.) Crisp watercolor vignettes against a white background create the raucous barnyard setting in Steve Lavis's Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! A Farmyard Counting Book. Starting with "One noisy rooster waking up the farm" and ending with "Ten clucking chickens roosting in the barn," this farm is noisy indeed. Animal sounds and number symbols are included on each spread. (Ragged Bears [Chronicle, dist.], $6.95 ages 6mos.-4yrs. ISBN 1-929927-26-6; Apr.) Steve Lavis looks at animals foreign and domestic with two Peek-Through Board Books. On the Farm follows the wooly sheep as he searches out who has eaten its breakfast. As each page is turned, more animals become visible through the die-cut spaces. The culprits are found behind the tractor. In the Jungle follows the same format, only this time a crocodile is in hiding. "Here I am!" shouts the crocodile on the last spread. Then he asks, "Who wants to hide next?" (Ragged Bears [Chronicle, dist.], $5.95 ages 2-4 ISBN 1-929927-23-1; -22-3; Apr.)