Nata

K-Gr 2 ``Nata was usually good, but one June day she wasn't.'' She tangled a spider's web, disturbed the bees, tied a knot in the cricket's feelers and was generally unpleasant to all of the garden creatures. Only the toad knows what is the matter with the small fairy and remembers that it happens yearly. On the first day of summer, Nata can't fly (which is why she doesn't flee from the threatening cat). Her old wings bother her and her disposition is nasty until the new wings appear. The story is pleasant and satisfying, with mild tension introduced by the cat. Plot and characters evolve from dialogue among the garden dwellers. The language is crisp and flowing, making this a potentially good read-aloud. Tafuri's bold, colorful illustrations draw children in, nicely complementing and extending the text. It is only through illustration that readers realize that Nata is a purple-clad fairy who, sometimes subtly, appears on each page. The garden and its creatures extend beyond the simple black line border and onto the page of text, drawing them together, lending movement to the book as a whole. Maria B. Salvadore, District of Columbia Pub . Lib .