Louise Builds a House

Form truly follows function in this playful mental exercise in building a house. Before Louise begins, she stops to think. There must be a place for everything and everything must be in its place. To start, the roof must be flat to enable the owner to fly kites. Windows must be large to let in plenty of light for reading but there should be some smaller windows just right for decorating with paints. There are goofy things like a drawbridge to draw fish on and practical considerations like space for a vegetable garden. The imaginary house is pictured from the very beginning and each improvement is added until the end result nearly spills off the page. It is intriguing that the young ``builder'' of the house, once she completes it, turns it over to her younger sister so that she can get started on her next project--building a boat. Pfanner's text is spare and concise, and her cheerfully colored artwork is lighthearted and whimsical. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)