Hector Protector
Reviewed with Tracey Campbell Pearson'sLittle Bo-PeepPreS. Nursery rhymes are a natural for the board-book set, and Campbell sensibly sets them in a child's home rather than in a Mother Goose fantasy land.Hectorshows a toddler dressing a large, patient dog in a green hooded sweatshirt, a scarf, and a sock. When the dog leaps upon the child's parents, they are not amused, so the dog beats a retreat. The child follows and cuddles up to him for comfort. Set at night,Bo-Peepfeatures a toddler first seen dropping two stuffed lambs over the railing of the crib and bawling over the lost sheep. Both parents come to the rescue, one to pick up the wailing child, the other to retrieve the wayward stuffies. Soon the baby and sheep are tucked into bed again, but the last scene shows the toddler again dropping the lambs over the railing of the crib. Even a young child can catch the humor, especially as the joke is on the parents. The story begs to be reread an in unending cycle, but even the most indulgent parents have their limits. Pearson's soft-edge drawings, washed with gentle colors, will appeal to young children, who love to watch their peers in action.Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved