WHAT FAUST SAW

No, not a sequel to the Goethe classic; the Mephistophelian horrors herein are strictly for laughs. Faust, a lovable mutt, wakes up one night to see an alien ship landing in front of his house. When he howls to wake his family, he is locked outside with a fantastic array of reptilian invaders, who keep chucking him back indoors. In one of the more amusing scenes, the gigantic monsters find ludicrous hiding places as the father searches the yard for the source of Faust's terror. The misunderstood, petrified, and ultimately angry dog is readily identifiable by any child who's ever been unjustly accused of wrongdoing. The playfulness of the typography—letters swerve through paintings, change fonts midsentence, even turn the corner of a building—competes with the illustrations, which are dynamic enough to stand up to repeated viewing. This is a rollicking good time, with a flappable canine hero who steals the show. (Picture book. 5-8)