THE TWINS, TWO BY TWO

After Dad reads them the story of Noah's Ark, Minnie and Max are off to bed, along the way pretending to be a pair of one kind of animal after another. The tigers who bounce up the stairs and the crocodiles who splash in the bathroom are still being kangaroos after they're tucked in for the first time; but after Max gets scared at the idea of a lion under his bed, the two at last curl up to sleep—as little mice. The animals the children imagine appear in oval vignettes on the text pages, while the cheerful children themselves cavort in their cozy home, with plenty of animal toys and pictures in evidence. As usual, the illustrations are exceptionally warm and lively. Good-humored and appealing. (Picture book. 3-6)