No Laughing, No Smiling, No Giggling
PreSchool-Grade 3–In this sequel to Stevenson'sDon't Make Me Laugh(Farrar, 1999), Mr. Frimdimpny, a crocodile curmudgeon, admonishes Freddy Fafnaffer, an adorable pink pig, that no one is allowed to laugh or giggle. An infraction of the rule results in the wrongdoer having to return to the front of the book. Clever Freddy, however, spies on the crocodile and hears him reveal his secret: "If anybody tickles my tail, I giggle." As readers peruse the ridiculously silly vignettes that follow, Freddy laughs, giggles, and smiles several times, resulting in his return to the beginning of the book. At the end of the story, he sneaks up to a sleeping Mr. Frimdimpny and begins to tickle him. When the larger animal unexpectedly rolls over and Freddy gets caught beneath him, the pig asks the audience to help him tickle Mr. Frimdimpny's tail; the crocodile laughs and must return to the front of the book. Children will enjoy the humorous cartoons and delight in helping Freddy out of his predicament. The act of inviting readers to actively participate in the plot has great appeal. Youngsters will enjoy this title, which is best suited for independent reading or one-on-one sharing, over and over again.–Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.