THE GOLDEN GOOSE BOOK

Breaking Kirkus tradition, we celebrate the return of two landmarks that suffered size reductions before going out of print years ago. Restored to its full dimensions, with art newly reproduced from the originals, this collection of four nursery tales (like the rhymes in Ring O'Roses, below) rejoices in the charmingly witty drawings and subtle watercolors of an illustrator often ranked with Caldecott himself. This edition isn't perfect: some of the drawings, reproduced in a smaller size, seem to lose immediacy, and some of the colors in the superfluously added borders jar; a few of the delightful drawings (especially for ``The Three Little Pigs'') are missing. Never mind; in most ways, an improvement on the last available editions, and a treasure. (Folklore/Picture book. 2-8)