QUEENIE, ONE OF THE FAMILY

From Graham (Greetings from Sandy Beach, 1992, etc.), a genial story about a surprising kind of tolerance, featuring a lovable family, a hen, and a dog. When Caitlin's father saves a hen from drowning in a lake, the family christens her ``Queenie,'' then returns her to her owner, a local farmer. They haven't seen the last of Queenie, who makes daily pilgrimages to their house to leave an egg in Bruno the dog's bed. Caitlin collects the ``gifts'' for awhile, but becomes forgetful when a new baby joins the family. The eggs accumulate until Queenie stops visiting, and, in a humorous twist, Bruno hatches the chicks. The chicks are promptly taken to the farmer's, but Caitlin manages to keep one for home. A true sense of family and acceptance comes through in Graham's illustrations; they are loosely sketched and very appealing, while his use of small panels in the oversize pages gives the story momentum and direction. (Picture book. 4-6)