MAMA'S PERFECT PRESENT
by Diane Goode & illustrated by Diane Goode
In this deadpan sequel to Where's Our Mama? (1991), the Parisian brother and sister and their disaster-causing dachshund are on a hunt for Mama's birthday present. At each fancy shop, Zaza slips away and, unnoticed for a few crucial seconds, sends racks flying, overturns dress mannequins, and topples store clerks, chefs, and shoppers. With Goode's jaunty illustrations, this is a deftly paced and sophisticated comedy that includes a parody of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It's quite an outing, and the siblings do locate (and create) the perfect present. (Picture book. 4-7)