THE PATCHWORK LADY
by Mary K. Whittington & illustrated by Jane Dyer
The Patchwork Lady wears ``a plaid dress, argyle stockings, and checkered slippers''; in her house—from her toothpaste to the afghan she's knitting—multicolored designs prevail. With company coming, she bakes a crumbling cake, stuck together with honey. Dyer's sweet, carefully detailed style is just right for this concept-book-cum-story: creatively juxtaposing dozens of patterns, both intentional (e.g., chintz) and otherwise (a tricolored cat), she celebrates the subject's possibilities and sums it up in the guests' perfect birthday present—a patchwork quilt. (Picture book. 4-8)