ONE MORE WEDNESDAY

French author/illustrator Doray's debut picture book treats the subject of death with tenderness and simplicity. Each Wednesday, a small rabbit spends the day with Granny. They bake together and take walks in the park; the grandchild listens to her sing while coloring. "But then one Wednesday came, and I couldn't go see Granny. She was in the hospital." Later, the youngster attends her funeral with his or her parents, but is confused. "Did this mean that my granny was gone forever?" The rabbit and Mama talk about death, and her words are comforting: "Before you were even born, in some way you were already here because we wanted you so much. And it's the same way with Granny now. In some way she'll always be here because you love her so much." The book ends on a happy note, as the youngster snuggles down to sleep buoyed by memories of their shared Wednesdays (Granny's dog at the bedside). The spareness of the text is mirrored in Doray's boldly delineated black-and-white line drawings, which are punched up with a single color per page—a red balloon, a yellow sweater, a blue jacket, blades of green grass. An effective and eye-catching conceit, it helps keep attention tightly focused on the sympathetic development of the theme. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)