cover image I Love Saturday

I Love Saturday

Patricia Reilly Giff. Viking Children's Books, $12.95 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-670-81409-1

Saturday is Katie Cobb's favorite day. Every Saturday she gets up early and follows the same routine: play a game of checkers, then a game of jacks (Katie always wins); visit Mrs. Zelinsky for a sugar cookie; help Dexter, the handyman, paint the wall; sort the mail and tidy the desk for Charles, the doorman; and visit the grocer, John. But one Saturday, Katie discovers that somebody has beaten her to her favorite haunts: Jessica Jeanne, who is visiting her grandmother--Mrs. Zelinsky. At first Katie is outraged, but the two girls soon discover they have a lot in common. As in Today Was a Terrible Day , Giff humorously explores a child's world, deftly delineating the small incidents that are of consequence to youngsters. Remkiewicz's colorful, cartoony pictures provide winning commentary on a rollicking text. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)