THAT DANCIN' DOLLY

Set to the melody of the familiar toe-tapper, "Buffalo Gals," the text of this tale—adapted from the 1940s song lyrics to the same tune, "Dance With a Dolly (With a Hole in her Stockin')"—inspires Merz to introduce a girl and her Raggedy Ann lookalike companion in a toe-stompin' debut. The breezy verses (with just one or two lines per page) soar across each spread: "As I was going out to play,/ sing and play,/ sunny day." And play they do, as Merz's cut- and torn-paper collages emphasize the surroundings in the girl's enormous yard. Her doll sits atop a plastic slide as the girl sets up a tea party for her stuffed friends, fashioned with fuzzy edges (her hobby horse's mane is even embellished with fur). When the doll launches down the slide, the girl catches her, initiating several pages of acrobatic movement ("I asked her if she'd like to dance,/ Sing and dance/ run and prance"); while they swing, shirts and socks sway on the clothesline and the fibrous, multihued sky turns to rosy shades of sunset. For those who wish to join in, the sheet music can be found on the last page. Merz blithely offers a day of knees "a-knockin' " and toes "a-rockin'." Ages 4-up. (June)