Baby Dot a Dinosaur Story

The well-matched author and illustrator of Shadow Baby here introduce Baby Dot, a spoiled, polka-dot dinosaur who gets away with murder around the cave. When her behavior becomes intolerable, her parents decide to send her to school, since it ``will be good for her.'' Baby Dot doesn't agree. On her first day, she refuses to join in the activities, and when she returns home she is naughtier than ever. When Mama and Papa let their unhappy daughter stay home the next day, she gets bored and announces she wants to go back to school. Once there, she is totally reformed, and even does her best to make another little dino feel comfortable during his first day. Grownups may be bothered by the implication that Baby Dot's parents send her to school because she is misbehaving at home. But children who are having trouble adjusting to school (or to any new situation) are likely to savor the book's reassuring message that ``everything will be okay.'' Ages 3-6. (Sept.)