I'M ONLY AFRAID OF THE DARK (AT NIGHT!!) Patti Stren. New York, Harper & Row, c1982. Distributed by Beaverbooks. 38pp, cloth, $14.70. ISBN 0-06-02605-9 (trade edition), 0-06-026060-2 (library edition). Pre-School-Grade 1. Reviewed by Ronald Jobe. Volume 11 Number 1. 1983 January. I'm afraid this book doesn't quite make it, even in the dark! There must be a basic honesty in quality children's books. Whether it is fantasy or humour, the facts must be correct; slugs, trees, and bushes in the Arctic? The top of the world? Is there any excuse for such cute thinking? Where is the presence of the editor? Children do find the names of the characters appealing, chuckle over the slug-hunting references, and listen right to the end of the story. However, the cleverness of Miami beach sunglasses, the flashlight for comfort, and the box-over-the-head routine is not fully appreciated. Patti introduces a dark-shaded presence to her illustrations so as to highlight her snowy heroes. However, not only are the owls drawn with only a hint of personality or expression, but the side caricatures seem rather static and tired shadows of Stren's usual astute humour. The calm, cute, wrap-around ending seems a disappointing conclusion to the story. Sadly, there are simply no rainbows, hugs, or Mountain Roses to recommend this book. Ronald Jobe, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.