When the lights go out for the young narrator, the anxiety level goes way, way up. Litzinger (Louella Mae, She's Run Away!) dissolves the walls of his cozy and familiar room (although the objects in the boy's immediate proximity remain the same, serving as reality anchors), dwarfs his bed and introduces a cast of spooks: "A creepy sound beneath my bed!/ I want to run.../ I'll hide instead!" says the boy, sliding under the covers as a pair of pink, clawed reptilian feet poke out from the bed's underside. "A creepy monster on the wall..../ I would feel safer in the hall!" he confides. A cry for help brings Mama in and the lights on; she calmly demonstrates the sources of his fears, which are quite innocuous ("A creepy shadow's on the floor!" says he; "It's just the tree and nothing more," she replies, pointing to its branches through the open window). That does the trick: "Now the room is not so creepy./ Now I'm feeling kind of sleepy." The Pumphrey brothers, making their picture book debut, opt for an economical text that acknowledges the boy's nocturnal apprehensions, while allowing Litzinger's strong graphics and vibrant colors to fill in the emotional details. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)
