ELMER BLUNT'S OPEN HOUSE

After oversleeping, Elmer hurries off to work, leaving his door open. In troop eight wild creatures, led by a cautious but curious mouse. Wide-eyed but increasingly gleeful, they explore the wonders within: the bear curls up in the oven; the rabbits share headphones; the skunk cavorts with the toilet paper; they all share the tub. Hearing a burglar, they hide, but he finds them and scoots, trapping them with a slammed door; with Elmer's return they hide again, escaping only after he's asleep. Telling the story almost without words, Novak uses frames of varying sizes and shapes with a skill and visual humor that recall Briggs's Father Christmas (1973). His sturdy, ebullient creatures are splendidly expressive; the comical details of their antics are delightful. (Picture book. 3-8)