SLEEPY RONALD

Rubel's splashy, tutti-frutti backgrounds were a natural environment for Rotten Ralph (p. 129, J-39). Here they just about swamp Ronald, the rabbit protagonist who nods off in school, on roller skates, at the swimming hole, and in his own bathroom, and then misses his opera rehearsal (!)altogether. Finally his buddy Priscilla discovers the trouble: "your ears. . .keep drooping over your eyes and make everything so dark you think it's bedtime." A limp ending if we ever heard one, especially since Rubel's electric turquoise, yellow, orange, and red palette is bright enough to wake the dead. But since the pictures have narrative punch to go with their visual zap, they just might carry this sleeper along.