Tillie and Mert

Splashed by shades of pink and green, Cushman's pictures ideally illustrate the three stories in Luttrell's I Can Read Book, starring Tillie Skunk and Mert Fieldmouse. ""The Garage Sale'' concerns the vaunted bargains offered by shrewd Weasel. Ignoring Mert's advice, Tillie buys an umbrella, a purse and a teapot because they have only tiny holes. The purchases soon prove to be mistakes, but the two friends laugh off the incident over a cup of tea from Tillie's old, undamaged pot. In ``Sister Alice'' and ``The Store,'' Tillie and Mert weather other crises through mutual support and willingness to learn. The little tales are crisply told, funny adventures with neatly implied morals. (48)