Mary Margaret Morrison's new baby brother, Irwin, is getting all the attention. Where did he come from, anyway? Only when Mary Margaret's loyalty is tested does she realize that Irwin is an irreplaceable new member of her family, one who may at times need to be protected. Full color. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Tough little Mary Margaret Morrison supplies all sorts of wild explanations for her brother's origins, none of them flattering. He was a freebie at the zoo the day they were giving away wild animals; an alien from another planet, complete with ``shiny metal diapers, too!'' The girl's stories are interspersed with her longing for the ``good old days'' when her parents had lots of time just for her. Despite her resentment, the illustrations depict an attentive and loving family. The children's outsized heads and squiggly limbs resemble those of Nickelodeon's squat Rugrats. Aside from the comical figures, however, there's little visual interest in the watercolors, with their vast planes of pea-soup green. The brisk pace and Mary Margaret Morrison's angry comic shtick break down in an abrupt, unconvincing turning point. Mary Margaret Morrison ponders the possibility of her parents returning her irascible brother to the ``room full of wild babies'' (a tranquil hospital nursery), where he ``really'' came from, and she's suddenly protective: ``My brother's name is Irwin Jr., and we are going to keep him.'' It's as if the authors have tired of the joke, too, and simply abandon it via their heroine's sudden change of heart. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright Reed Business Information Reed Elsevier Inc.

PreS-Feisty, young Mary Margaret Morrison isn't completely happy when her new brother comes on the scene. She insists on telling the world that her family got him from the zoo, or from another planet, or from a bunch of monkeys. Her routine has been upset, and she makes sure that everyone knows that things are not what they were in the good old days before everyone became preoccupied with Irwin, Jr. Poised in the corner of edgy drawings, Mary Margaret lobs rhetorical questions at readers, only easing up toward the end when she shows a touching protectiveness. Cartoon-style watercolors will amuse youngsters. This is a story about feelings, about resentment, and about love, that families with a new baby will appreciate.-Anna Biagioni Hart, Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, VA Copyright Reed Business Information Reed Elsevier Inc.