ISLAND BABY
by Holly Keller & illustrated by Holly Keller
A frequent picture-book author explores new territory: the Caribbean, where little Simon and his granddad (``Pops'') save an orphaned flamingo. Pops keeps a bird hospital, where Simon helps care for injured birds; ``Baby,'' who has a broken leg, is Simon's find and beloved special charge. Then, when he's healed and grown, they set Baby free. As Pops points out, otherwise ``You'd be going off to start school, and I'd be left here to care for this spoiled baby of yours''—introducing a rather pointed subtext. Apart from that, the story is familiar; but Keller tells it clearly and gracefully and provides simply outlined, vibrantly colored art that nicely conveys the island ambience and the warm relationship between the boy and the old man. (Picture book. 3-7)