cover image Bedtime, Zachary!

Bedtime, Zachary!

Muriel Blaustein. HarperCollins Publishers, $7.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-694-00191-0

The thorny bedtime problem is a perennial subject for picture books. In this tale, young Zachary tiger suggests, ""We could play I'm the grown-up, and you're MY CUBS.'' Zachary chooses a permissive role while Mr. and Mrs. Tiger decide to play ``good cubs.'' Zachary turns on the TV, tries to read them a bedtime story and makes them ice cream sundaes, but they reply: ``All we want to do is go to BED!'' Soon both Zachary and his parents decide that ``it's not working. . . . Let's be BAD!'' Mr. and Mrs. Tiger then try all of Zachary's bedtime-evasion tricks: they hide, make noise, chase mice and pull his tail until they all fall into bed exhausted. This is an attractive book, and its funny, cartoony line drawings with full-color overlays are reminiscent of James Stevenson's Grandpa books. A promising debut. Ages 3-7. (July)