CHIP PLAYS GROWN-UP

A young penguin finds a creative way to postpone bedtime.

Mom knocks on Chip’s door. It’s time for bed! But Chip’s too busy. Glued to a makeshift computer screen, with a stuffed toy “assistant” looking on, Chip has emails to send. So the negotiations begin. Chip proposes switching roles with Mom. She’ll be the kid and go to bed, and Chip will be the grown-up and watch TV. Mom agrees and plays the game with great skill and definite cunning: She requires Chip to tuck her in, read her a bedtime story, bring her favorite stuffed animal, and more. She also gives “grown-up” Chip a list of chores that she usually does in the evenings. Chip completes them all and finally gets to watch TV. An exhausted Chip has had enough; it’s time to be a kid again! This tale starts off with a quick guide to reading comics, defining terms and explaining how to read the panels in the right order. The cartoon artwork adds details and dimension, greatly enhancing the spare text. Perched on skinny stick legs, Chip and Mom are an adorably anthropomorphic pair whose home is an igloo in a frozen landscape. Frost makes great use of their body language and facial expressions to convey emotion. Young readers will be drawn into this familiar family dynamic, recognizing their own bedtime struggles and forays into independence.

A charming, funny tale of bedtime antics.