The Mysterious Disappearance of Ragsby

Alexander's Make Believe & Me series jets off with four nicely nonsensical stories about T. J. and his sister Katie, who live with Granny Rose. Their old house looks ""like a birthday cake, all gleamy and icing-white, with flowers growing everywhere.'' And Granny's cooking fills the inside with sweet smells that awaken the children one morning. But T. J.'s teddy bear Ragsby isn't there for breakfast, so the worried brother and sister go looking for him. And ``the make-believing begins'' when a hound dog transforms himself into the great sleuth Sherlock Bones. Inviting readers to use imagination, T. J. and Katie create the exciting fantasy in which a jolly feast celebrates the rescue of Ragsby from Mildew, the beast who reforms when Katie befriends him. Bright colors and fetching details in the pictures maximize the fun in the four titles, including these sequels: A Furnace for Castle Thistlewart, ISBN 0-86679-018-7 ; Muddle-Mole and His Exploding Birthday Party, ISBN 0-86679-020-9 ; A LittleBigalow Story, ISBN 0-86679-021-7 ; 8.95 each. (36)