WHEN THIS BOX IS FULL

A wooden box—an empty cube—makes a fine receptacle for items signifying, one by one, the months of the year, whose names accumulate in the left-hand margin as the objects—``a red foil heart, a robin's feather, a purple eggshell,'' etc., in hand- tinted b&w photos combined for a collage-like effect—are introduced and then mount up in the box. It's a novel way to rehearse the months, with some of the images just far enough off center to add interest (``toasted pumpkin seeds, a wishbone, and a silver star''). Of most appeal is Crew's innovative way with these simple, powerful graphics in an arresting (some might even say dissonant) range of colors. (Picture book. 3-7)