cover image Skipper Is the Daddy

Skipper Is the Daddy

Yoko Imoto, Lendell. Grosset & Dunlap, $5.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-448-09294-2

These two titles from the Skipper Kitten series are snappy little tales well-suited to the preschool set. In Skipper at the Beach , the young kitten Skipper and his parents are at the beach for the day. Skipper's friends Betsy Bunny and Ned Frog are joined by a friendly crab named Claude for stretching exercises that are a prelude to swimming. A boisterous adventure in the surf is followed by a picnic lunch and sandcastle-making. In Skipper Is the Daddy , Skipper decides that being grown-up is more advantageous than being young, and convinces his dad to trade places for the day. Just as Skipper settles down to enjoy reading the newspaper, his mother appears with a stool with a wobbly leg and a broken clock--as ``dad'' of the family, it's Skipper's obligation to fix things. Meanwhile, his father is playing with blocks, eating doughnuts and taking naps. The soft, stylized watercolors of Skipper and company are charmingly animated. The stories are detailed, with pleasant endings, and are perfect for children seeking a bit more of a story than is sometimes available to the younger age group. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)