I GOT COMMUNITY

The idea of community can be abstract to young readers, and while books on the subject are both needed and welcome, this one has the textual flaws to make it an additional purchase. The important people who make up a child's community are briefly introduced in this bouncy vernacular rhyme including the babysitter, neighbor, friend, custodian, store clerk, teacher, a rabbi and two ministers, librarian, policewoman, and fireman. The title stresses the positive interdependence of community members of various ages, religions, and race, but the rhymes are forced: ``Got a policewoman, helps me be lawful,/Nabs all the criminals tough and awful.'' Some of the sentiments seem anti-community, e.g., the celebration of a neighbor who ``Broke a fence slat so I could fit through,'' or the store clerk who ``Gives me a licorice lollipop,/Sneaks in some extras for just a dime.'' The drawings convey the message more successfully than the text. Vibrant, Matisse-like illustrations are lively and appealing; Gottlieb uses broad black angular lines to define subjects and settings, eliminates or simplifies the details, and juxtaposes vivid colors. (Picture book. 5-8)