cover image Whose Coming to Our House

Whose Coming to Our House

Joseph Slate. Putnam Publishing Group, $14.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-399-21537-7

`` `Who is coming to our house?' `Someone, someone,' says Mouse.'' In trusting anticipation, the animals ready the stable, cleaning, sweeping, stacking hay, and lining a crib. The visitors are, of course, Mary and Joseph, as weand the animalslearn in the book's closing pages. Simple, cleanly rhyming verses give the text a pleasing cadence, while Wolff's accomplished block prints convey the gentle friendliness and generosity of the occasion. A quiet, understated rendering of the Nativity, this well-crafted picture book resonates with genuine warmth and spirit. Ages 3-6. (Nov . )