TOO BUSY MARCO

It’s just too hard to go to bed for Marco, a parrot with BIG DREAMS. Will he become an artist, discover new fish and invent underwater paint so he can paint his discoveries…or something else? Chast’s signature cartoon illustrations are just as busy as Marco’s brain. They are filled with the sort of details that will amuse readers and listeners, allowing new discoveries with each reading. The first colorful spread contains hints of all that follows: a half-pipe with skating bird, watercolors, rocket, bowling balls, mountain-climbing book and much more. The clock urges Marco to bed on each page, friendly at first (“Come on, Marco!”) and then, as the hands move past 8:00, with more urgency (“Marco, you’re not listening to me”). Youngsters who are developing a sense of humor have no better place to start than here. The cartoonist rewards their desire to chuckle with Marco’s wobbly-eyed, full-on stares and huffy bedtime-avoiding pouts and fits in hilarious speech bubbles for good measure. Perfect for repeated bedtime reading. (Picture book. 3-8)