Why Do Grown-Ups Have All the Fun?

From Publishers Weekly This winning story is sure to strike a familiar chord among young readers. As she lies awake in bed with her doll Aggie, Hannah is convinced that her parents are having all kinds of funeating ice-cream sundaes, playing with play dough, building block towers. But when she tiptoes out to see, she finds them involved in much more prosaic pursuits. Hannah's parents let her sit on the couch with them for a while, which does the trick: Hannah goes back to bedand to sleepon her own steam. Russo (creator of The Line Up Book and contributor to the New Yorker has created colorful, simple pictures that persuasively convey Hannah's feelings. The book provides a springboard for children to discuss fears and thoughts about bedtime. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2 The title question is what the inventive narrator of this imaginative picture book asks herself as she lies awake, fancying her parents eating ice cream, making play dough, and building block towers. Yet each time she goes downstairs to check, Hannah finds that they are involved in more mundane activities. The beauty of this book lies in its simple story line, in the charm of the ingenuous protagonist, and in Russo's graphic illustrations. Gouache paintings in muted colors, they present strong images through flat blocks of color. The reality and the fantasy are presented visually, with real situations garnering two-page spreads and Hannah's theories displayed on single pages bordered with objects from her fantasy. Children will relate to Hannah's question; the answer provides a satisfying bedtime book. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.