BEDTIME HULLABALOO

A terrible racket at bedtime sends leopard off to find its source. He meets other animals along the way, all getting ready for bed in their own manner, and they form a parade. Leopard leads giraffe, baboon, hyena, meerkat, zebra, lion, ostrich and water buffalo. The source of the noise is sure to be a giggle-inducing surprise, as is the predictable but still enjoyable ending. Fuge’s jewel-toned illustrations give readers no doubt as to the story’s savanna setting. Squinting eyes and twitching mouths (many echoing mid-to-late-century Disney animation) bring the characters to life as they blearily and angrily set off to find the source of the racket. Conway’s tale is well-crafted, but his prose methods are inconsistent. Leopard’s page contains lots of alliteration, while baboon’s page and several others feature some rhyme, and still other pages are chockablock with synonyms. Sadly, none of these devices is carried throughout the text, which will cause confusion for both oral readers and listeners. Still, this could be an amusing African-themed complement to The Napping House. (Picture book. 3-7)