cover image That's Philomena

That's Philomena

Catherine Bancroft, Hannah C. Gruenberg. Simon & Schuster, $15 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-02-708326-2

In this follow-up to Felix's Hat, Bancroft and Coale continue to demonstrate a fine grasp of family dynamics. The whole Frog household is back in action, with the spotlight this time on moody sister Philomena. After she wakes up on the wrong side of bed one morning, she overhears her brothers and sisters calling her ``Philomeany.'' Upset, she aspires to earn the nickname ``Philonicey'' by baking brownies, but burns the batch when she helps her siblings build a lemonade stand. Bancroft and Coale effectively convey the grouchy but good-hearted character's frustration: ``I know I was a stinky, mean big sister this morning, so I tried to make some brownies for you guys, but I wrecked them,'' glowers Philomena. ``Anyway, I'm sorry. So there.'' Coale's watercolors of the wide-mouthed green Frogs are winningly gawky and evocative of individual personalities. And although the Frogs don't go near water in this outing, visual jokes make reference to their amphibious nature: Daddy Frog reads The Froggy News and Philomena's brownie recipe comes from The Betty Croaker Cookbook. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)