Boom! Boom! Boom!
A storm rages outdoors as a boy goes to bed with his teddy bear. With each flash of lightning and boom of thunder, another household pet arrives at his bedside, hoping to join him. He welcomes the dog, the cat, and the guinea pig, but after the frog, the parrot, and the snake squeeze in, it’s “a bit too snug.” When his sister arrives, the boy turns her down. She leaps onto the bed, causing all kinds of chaos before bringing this satisfying picture book to a fitting conclusion. Reminiscent of the Ukrainian folktale in which animals squeeze into a mitten, the story features tension that builds gradually until it suddenly releases. The characters’ expressions and the furniture’s upheaval visually reflect the narrative dynamics, but the gentle colors, soft textures, and rounded forms of the illustrations create a cozy atmosphere throughout the book. Told in rhyme and including thunderous sound effects, this would be a reassuring bedtime story on a dark and stormy night. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Carolyn Phelan