A hen warns her apathetic colleagues of a fox; according to PW , ``Fox builds the suspense in this cumulative tale with precise pacing. Mullins uses tissue-paper collage to create an unusual effect, both fuzzy and comic.'' Ages 4-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1 Hattie the Hen announces that she sees a nose in the bushes, to which her barnyard friends respond: Good grief!''Well, well!'' Who cares?''So what?'' and ``What next?'' What's next are the eyes, ears, legs, and body of a hungry fox. The fox lunges, Hattie flies, and the goose, pig, sheep, and horse panic. But the cow moos so loudly that the fox is frightened away. Bright, whimsical tissue collage and crayon illustrations add zest to this simple cumulative tale, and reveal more action than is expressed by the text alone. The repetition of the urbane animals' responses creates a rhythm which is energized by the fox' arrival. Hattie and the Fox combines a refreshing visual presentation with a classic form to make a terrific choice for reading aloud to very young children, or for those just beginning to read on their own. Carolyn Noah, Worcester Public Library, Mass.