AVOCADO BABY

A scant 350 words tell matter-of-factly about the Hargraves baby, who is born into a very weak family but grows superstrong once its mother begins feeding it mashed avocado. One night it chases away a burglar. Next day Mr. Hargraves puts a BEWARE OF THE BABY sign on the gate. Soon the baby is moving furniture and pushing the car when it won't start. In the final three-spread sequence, two bullies hassle the older Hargraves children and the baby jumps out of its stroller and throws them into the pond. With mediocre illustrations such a conceit might be as weak as the Hargraves—but Burningham's cartoons, as expertly ingenuous as the words, bring out all the kinetic humor of the situation while maintaining the tone of the text.