Kipper's Birthday
PreSchool-- "Plees come to my birthday party tomoro at 12 o cloc don't be lat" read Kipper the dog's invitations to his friends. But he gets so tired preparing for the celebration that he decides to deliver his invitations the next day. When nobody comes to his party, he eats his cake himself, falls asleep, and is awakened by a knock at the door--his guests have arrived--a day late. After some confusion, his friend Tiger explains, " 'Your birthday must have been tomorrow the day before yesterday . . . So yesterday it would have been today , but today it was yesterday." (This explanation may tend to confuse adults as well as children!) All is resolved happily when Kipper unwraps his presents, and the party begins. Kipper and his friends are depicted with humor and personality. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are lively, and the layout is pleasing. The question is, who's the book's audience? It is debatable whether preschool children will understand the point, and first and second graders will find it too simple in story line. Don't give up on other "Kipper" stories, but skip this one.- Judy Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library , LACopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.