Colorful picture books and storybooks, a summer reading roundup; A Gift for Mama, by Esther Hautzig. Illustrated by Donna Diamond. New York: Viking Junior Books. $8.95.

On all special occasions, from birthdays to Hanuka, Sara has to make a gift. But this year Sara is determined to be very grown up and buym her mother a gift for Mother's Day. She's seen the perfect present in a shop window, a pair of black satin slippers.

But Sara has no money. She doesn't receive an allowance. Nor will her parents give her money unless they know how she is going to spend it.

While eating dinner with her Aunt Margola, Sara gets an idea. She can mend the tattered clothes belonging to her Aunt's college friends. Sara mends one scarf, one sweater, two pair of silk stockings, six socks, and turns seven shirt collars before she earns the nine zlotys for the slippers. When Sara's mama receives the present her first reaction is one of disappointment. But when she learns how Sara earned the money for the gift, her reaction pleases Sara very much.

Esther Hautzig's style is gentle and warm, reflecting the love, gaiety, and affection in Sara's family. The depth of characterization reveals Sara an enterprising child whose upbringing has helped her become an independent, yet loving child. The beautiful black and white illustrations capture the gentleness an d tenderness expressed throughout the book.