Kid-Lit Capers

By Stefan Kanfer

THE FORTUNE-TELLERS by Lloyd Alexander, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (Dutton; $15). In Cameroon a young carpenter consults the town fortune- teller. "You're going to pay me a nice fee," the seer predicts. What he doesn't foresee is that the laborer will end up as the town fortune-teller. This ingenious adventure suggests the magic of the Arabian Nights.

OSCAR DE MEJO'S ABC (HarperCollins; $17). Year after year, the alphabet book is reinterpreted for new readers. This year's freshest version is a series of 26 deceptively simple paintings that celebrate scenes of Americana. B is for the Boston Tea Party; J is for Jazz; P is for Patrick Henry; S is for the Statue of Liberty; U is for Umpire. And X? That stands for Xmas, of course. May yours be merry and bright.

WHERE DOES IT GO? by Margaret Miller (Greenwillow; $14). Where does Justin put his toothbrush? Through the apple? On the teddy bear? No, he puts it in his mouth! More instructions follow, about the placement of books, bicycles, pillows and dolls. The text tries a little too hard to be nonsexist, but the photographs are pleasing and the lessons are painless.

BOODIL MY DOG by Pija Lindenbaum, retold by Gabrielle Charbonnet (Henry Holt; $14.95). Here is a bull terrier with real star power. As the perky illustrations demonstrate, she sleeps all day, hogs the best chair, is afraid of rain and regards the vacuum cleaner as an enemy. Yet the child narrator looks upon her pet as a blend of heroine and best friend. Boodil would agree, and so will any reader with a lazy and lovable mutt.

LI'L SIS AND UNCLE WILLIE by Gwen Everett (Rizzoli; $13.95). One magic summer, Li'l Sis' Uncle Willie -- a painter en route to New York CityQstops off in the South. Through his eyes the child sees a new world of colors and culture. Uncle Willie was William Johnson, a real African-American artist, and this biography artfully employs his work to enlighten as it entertains.

THE CATARACT OF LODORE by Robert Southey, illustrated by David Catrow (Henry Holt; $15.95). The author, who lived from 1774 to 1843, is one of England's forgotten poet laureates. Yet Southey's story The Three Bears has endured for more than 100 years. Now another of his children's tales is resurrected, thanks to David Catrow's lively paintings. The rhythms and sights of a waterfall should lull and delight young readers well into the next century.

THE STINKY CHEESE MAN by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (Viking; $16). It was inevitable: revisionism has come to children's literature. In this collection the ugly duckling grows up to be an ugly duck, Cinderella's sisters win, and the frog prince croaks.The comedy depends on a knowledge of the original , stories; given that, the pictures are obvious and excessive. In other words, ideal kid stuff.

MARTHA SPEAKS by Susan Meddaugh (Houghton Mifflin; $13.95). Martha, your average family pooch, eats the alphabet soup and starts speaking fluent English. Trouble is, she won't stop. Finally the family rises up and orders her to shut up. Which Martha does, until the day a burglar comes to call ... The whimsical author-illustrator gets an occasional case of the cutes. Usually, however, she is wise enough to let the tale wag the dog.

MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE by Emily Arnold McCully (Putnam; $14.95). In Mama's boardinghouse, little Mirette is surrounded by famous acrobats. None is more attractive than M. Bellini, a tightrope walker who has suddenly lost his courage. Mirette can restore it, but only if she accompanies him on his walk over the rooftops of Paris. Wistful watercolors evoke turn-of-the-century France, and the narrative is as taut as the high wire itself.

WHY THE SKY IS FAR AWAY by Mary-Joan Gerson, illustrated by Carla Golembe (Little, Brown; $15.95). According to an ancient Nigerian tale, the sky was once so close to the earth that folks could take a bite. It was delicious. But people grew self-indulgent and wasteful, and the sky decided to seek revenge. This apt retelling is abetted by brilliant illustrations that seem to radiate their own heat and light.