THE WEEDS AND THE WEATHER

Unlike the weather, for which the forecast is often amusingly wrong in this pleasant early chapter book, the routines enjoyed by gray-haired Mrs. Weed and her cat Clover (``plump and proud'') and dog Pocket (``little and lighthearted'') are comfortably predictable—different seasons and times of day cause only small modifications in their ritual walks and snacks, while such happenings as a spring bouquet from Mrs. Weed's former students (now grown), or minor vicissitudes like a tree, blown down in a fall storm, blocking the front door, are momentary diversions. Watson's precise illustrations, as cozy as the neatly honed text, nicely enhance the contrast between Mrs. Weed's tidy home and the little occurrences that add interest to her placid days. Quiet, beautifully crafted, a book that glows with the simple pleasures afforded by the unexpected in an orderly world. (Young reader. 4-8)