DON'T YOU KNOW THERE'S A WAR ON?

Another vignette from the popular illustrator's boyhood: 1942-45, while his brother was in the navy. Deft watercolor sketches that—like the spare text—consist of the sorts of telling details that linger in the memory; free-floating, hand- lettered dialogue, also telling (the title is a weary reply to ``Oh, not Spam again,'' as well as to ``Can Charley and I have a ride to the movies?''); revealing games (keeping an eye on old Mr. Schmidt, maybe a ``spy''); poignant glimpses (after Dad goes to war, his clothes are still in the closet, but his razor and toothbrush are gone). Again, Stevenson assembles quintessential bits of daily life, evoking an entire era along with his particular experience of it. (Autobiography/Picture book. 5-9)