LOTTIE'S NEW BEACH TOWEL
by Petra Mathers & illustrated by Petra Mathers
On an outing with her friend, Herbie—a duck—a resourceful hen named Lottie finds multiple uses for her new polka-dot towel: on a hot beach, under a picnic, as a sail for a boat with a conked-out motor, and even in a wedding, when a sea breeze blows the bride’s veil away. Combining quick wit with a broad streak of daffiness (“ ‘Is that my foot? Silly me, it’s a starfish’ “), Lottie will win readers over instantly, and the sparely drawn and colored panels capture her vivacious charm perfectly. Move over, Minerva Louise (Minerva Louise at School, 1996, etc.). (Picture book. 5-7)