Bootsie Barker is a terror of a girl who wears a dainty hat, a frilly dress, pink cowboy boots -- and a treacherous grin that she shows only to other children. The narrator of this wry story dreads those days when her mother babysits for Bootsie ("Play nicely, girls!"). Since Bootsie is the sort of child adults think is sweet, her beleaguered playmate must come up with her own solution to the Bootsie problem (which, children will be relieved to know, does not involve winning Bootsie over). Peggy Rathmann's distinctive illustrations show that she understands the funny -- and not so funny -- side to a common childhood conflict. (Ages 3-6)

Don't let that frilly pink dress fool you. Bootsie Barker is one tough cookie, and she makes life miserable for another little girl whose mother said she has to learn to get along with all kinds of people. Any child who has ever been tormented by someone bigger, older, or meaner will recognize the shadow of Bootsie-the-terror and thrill to the underdog's toothsome victory. Full-color illustrations.