An Old-Fashioned ABC Book

To parents with treasured early editions of A Child's Garden of Verses or Heidi , Smith's soft, period illustrations will be very familiar. An artist for Good Housekeeping during the 1920s and '30s, Smith depicted children involved in pastimes reminiscent of a simpler era: playing marbles, building sandcastles, learning to sew, lying in a hammock watching the clouds drift by. Ashton provides a sweet, melodic text that is perfectly synchronized with Smith's pictures: ``L is for Luggage packed up for a trip. Laura is all set for her journey by ship.'' Youngsters may miss the pizzazz and punch of more contemporary-feeling alphabet books, but parents and grandparents will find this beautifully designed book a welcome change of pace. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)