Five picture books worth a look; Louie's Search, by Ezra Jack Keats. New York: Four Winds Press. $9.95

When award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats writes a book, children pounce on it with delight, and they won't be disappointed by his newest offering. Louie, an enchanting urchin whom Keats fans have met in "Louie," is searching for a father. He puts on some funny clothes and paints his nose red, hoping someone will notice him, maybe someone he would like for a father; but no one does notice until he finds something and is accused of stealing it by a scary man who looks terribly cross. What happens makes a suspenseful and satisfying story, and the colorful, somewhat abstract illustrations are exceptionally well done.