A Night on the Town. Caroline Merola. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2010. 32 pp., hardcover, $17.99. ISBN 978-1-77049-200-4. Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 3-6. Review by Christina Neigel. ***½ /4 Reviewed from Advance Review Copy.

excerpt:

The fun didn't last long. You can't smash a door in the middle of the night, even if there's candy on the other side. Before Pickles and Martha knew it, two big policemen with dogs appeared. Martha ducked behind the candy counter, but there was no place big enough for Pickles to hide.

"What in the world is that?" cried one policeman.

"It's a savage beast! It's a wild monster! It's about to attack!"shouted the other officer.

Pickles wasn't a savage beast or a wild monster, and she wasn't about to attack. But she was very frightened.

Pickles McPhee, an unusual looking blue creature bearing stripes, small horns and a fondness for adventure, sneaks into town one evening where she meets a little girl named Martha. Tiring of a vigil for the Tooth Fairy, Martha gratefully accepted Pickles' request for an adventure. After swimming in a pool and playing in the park, Martha becomes grumpy and demanding. She convinces Pickles to break into a candy store where things get out of hand. Martha realizes she has to stand up for her friend and admit to her own role in the candy-caper.

     The comical and childlike cartoon illustrations are incredibly vivid and fun. The subtext in this lighthearted book explores the propensity for people to make rash character judgments about the unknown (Pickles) and Martha's revelation that she must take responsibility for her actions (breaking rules and running away). The text has an interesting lilting quality that makes this book unique. An enjoyable book both for its story and its illustrations.

Highly Recommended.

Christina Neigel is the Department Head for the Library and Information Technology Program at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC. She has been reading books for children her whole life and never wants to stop.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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