A LOVELY DAY FOR AMELIA GOOSE

Rong's gently arcing, onomatopoeic debut picture book introduces a cheerful white goose. After rising from bed, Amelia Goose heads for the pond, greeting bees and birds along the way. She meets Frog at the pond, and the duo frolic through the marsh, bounding over lily pads ("Boing! Boing! Boing!"), playing hide-and-seek amid cattails and gamboling in the water ("Splish! Splash! Sploosh!"). When "it's time for Amelia Goose to go home," she says goodbye to Frog, then to the birds and bees, and climbs happily into bed. Rong's alabaster cutie leaps out as an immediate focal point in each collage, standing out against the bold, full-bleed backgrounds of blue skies and spring green meadows. One particularly carefree scene shows the goose and frog parading blithely through the water carrying vines (which they later wear as matching necklaces). With no conflict or unpleasantness in this idyllic wetland setting, Rong gives a peaceful account of a simple friendship. Ages 2-5. (May)