The Last Time I Saw Harris

This droll picture book from the illustrator of Ants Can't Dance and I Love Saturday is laced with subtle introductions to a few basic concepts such as time, distance and color recognition. Little wonder that Edmund dotes on his pet parrot Harris: the precocious bird is proficient at checkers, croquet and bubble blowing--and he knows every color in the color wheel except purple. When Harris is swept away by a ``fierce windstorm,'' Edmund is disconsolate. Not even a parade of virtuoso parrots from a nearby talent agency can assuage his grief. Together with Higgins, the family chauffeur, Edmund sets off to locate his friend. As the black stretch limo weaves its way from continent to continent, Higgins meets with one auto mishap after another. Multicolored salvaged items replace the fenders, doors and rocket panels, at last forming the perfect signal to lure Harris from the skies. Unexpected solutions, antic artwork and just the right level of urbane humor mark this genuinely funny story of a parrot with pizzazz. Ages 5-up. (Oct.)