COW. By Malachy Doyle. Illustrated by Angelo Rinaldi. Margaret K. McElderry. $17. (Ages 5 to 9) The life of a dairy cow might not seem a large-scale or romantic subject for a children's book, but in this huge format with brief text and lush paintings of the big-eyed bovines, it is.
THEY CALLED HER MOLLY PITCHER. By Anne Rockwell. Illustrated by Cynthia von Buhler. Knopf. $15.95. (Ages 7 to 10) The modest heroine of the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778 has long deserved a good illustrated biography. This handsomely illustrated one puts the battle itself in context, as well as telling as much as is known about the brave woman who brought water to the soldiers on the field and then took over firing a cannon herself.
DR. FRANKLIN'S ISLAND. By Ann Halam. Wendy Lamb Books/Random House. $14.95. (Ages 12 and up) Ah, wouldn't you know, a mad scientist is on the other side of the tropical island where three teenagers are the only survivors of a plane crash. Dr. Franklin is looking for young people to use in his experiments in ''transgenic treatments.'' Quite scary.
DOG FOOD. Written and illustrated by Saxton Freymann. Arthur Levine/Scholastic. $12.95. (All ages) O.K., be literal. If you look carefully, it's all fruits and vegetables, and all the constructions are dogs. One joke. In truth, in the simplicity of the conceit and complexity of the execution, it's the most engaging of the playful food books. Arf. Arf.
APPLES. Written and illustrated by Ken Robbins. Atheneum. $15.95. (Ages 6 to 9) It's the season for picking, munching and wondering, whether you get to go on a class trip to an orchard or not. Apples are the fruit of fall, and here is what you need to know about how they grow, then are harvested and pressed into cider. There's even a picture guide to some favorite varieties .
KNICK-KNACK PADDYWHACK! Adapted and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton. $18.99. (Ages 4 and up) Here's an interactive version of the catchy counting song ''This old man / he played one'' that combines pop-up and pull-out and whirling components.
BE BROWN! By Barbara Bottner. Illustrated by Barry Gott. Putnam & Grosset, $10.99. (All ages) A loving but somewhat authoritarian boy really wants his dog to do tricks. It is totally frustrating until he finds the right command. There's one thing the darling dog can be and do.