A BRAND IS FOREVER

An unsentimental, but not unsympathetic, story about a child who has ``always looked forward to branding day'' and its excitement and neighborly cooperation—until she has her own calf. Annie, who has bottle-fed the orphaned Doodle, begins to worry about the pain to be inflicted by the special brand that Gramps is making—an extension of the family's ``Double H'' with her own ``A.'' For the rest of the family, it's a workaday event, and each member deals differently with Annie's apprehensions: Gramps compares branding to inoculation and recalls their brand's history; Buster taunts, then bets Annie will shut her eyes; Gram suggests that Annie could help in the kitchen instead of watching; Mom reminds her to do her regular chores. But Annie rises to the occasion, helps with the fire, and even keeps her eyes open. A realistic and perceptive slice of ranch life, seamlessly incorporating a good deal of information on branding (there's an informative note, too), and tenderly illustrated in Himler's signature watercolor style. (Fiction/Young reader. 6-10)