THE NOISY GIANTS' TEA PARTY

The striking jacket painting of giant shadows cast against an apartment building by the action in a busy street is the best feature of this mixed offering. Andrew can't sleep: the sounds outside, plus his noisy gerbils, impinge on his dreams. In drawings across the bottom of each spread, garbage trucks, police cars, late-night revelers, etc., add to the din, while Andrew is shown in vibrant color above, receiving a group of bumbling, adult-sized ``giants'' who romp about, serve tea, and finally fall asleep when the noise outside subsides. In his expertly rendered art, McMullan creates some amusing links between the racket and its lively imaginary counterpart; still, the idea of bringing the nightmarish noises of a city street to life is a little thin, its development overextended. (Picture book. 4-8)