Starry Safari
PreSchool-Grade 1-An entertaining tale in which a girl's vivid imagination whisks her away to Africa. The text begins, "Racing in my sturdy jeep-on safari! Beep! Beep! Beep!" Zebras, giraffe, water buffalo, and a crocodile are some of the beasts she encounters. The large, double-spread acrylic illustrations humorously depict her adventures with the creatures, some friendly and some not so. The child is quite capable of fending for herself until, "Uh-oh. Footsteps. Greater danger! It's the Big Safari Ranger." While Dad is tucking her in again, the collection of toy animals scattered over the bedclothes reveals where all those fancies originated. Bold words such as "SCREEEEEECH!" "YIKES!" "CRASH!" and "ROAR!!!" are clear indicators that a reading just before bedtime may wake a child up rather than lull one to sleep. The richly colored pictures and constant action make this a good choice for storytime. Ashman'sSailing off to Sleep(S & S, 2001) has a similar, though quieter, ending while this title is a rip-roaring, exciting excursion.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.