THE PUDDLE PAIL

Kleven reprises the character of Ernst: In another story about the blue crocodile and his bossy brother, Sol, the two have distinct personalities, and Sol attempts to impose his will on the younger. Ernst goes his own way, dreamily watching the clouds, or becoming entranced with reflections he sees in a water puddle. The fresh story line has Ernst collecting puddles in a bucket, in a consummately childlike manner. Readers are in on the joke—the reflected colors Ernst collects will not maintain their hues and patterns once they are captured; still, he puts the bucketful to good use in the creation of watercolor pictures of clouds, stars, and puddles. The buoyant tale is set out in somewhat cluttered scenes in garish colors, but the collage technique and the repetition of patterns—to help children understand Ernst's activity—are pleasing. (Picture book. 3-6)