Off the Bookshelf

The Adventures of Jules & Gertie

Harcourt, Brace & Co., 38 pp., $16

This wonderfully illustrated picture book ranks with the childhood classics by Maurice Sendak, where the bold and busy illustrations blend with whimsical prose and magical realities. In Auntie Claus, Sophie is a spoiled but curious little girl who is determined to find the secrets behind her mysterious but glamorously sophisticated auntie. Her quest takes her to the North Pole, where she is put to work under the highly regulated regimen of the elfin work ethic. When Sophie discovers her little brother's name on the dreaded "B-B-and-G List," she knows what she has to do. The magic and wonder in this story is conveyed in the deeply hued illustrations of vivid expressions and detailed imagery that makes Auntie Claus a treasure to read again and again