KIPPER’S MONSTER

Inkpen’s Kipper is gladsome enough that it is never a problem to have him around, and Inkpen has such a light touch he never feels intrusive, but this contribution to things that go bump in the night feels awfully timeworn. Kipper’s friend Tiger (who is actually a dog) has a brand-new flashlight. It does all sorts of neat things in the dark, and it is not long before Tiger thinks it might be good fun to camp out in the woods, where it will be “really, really dark.” Well, it sounds good in the middle of the day, but Tiger soon discovers that night can get really, really, really dark, with lots of creepy sounds as well. Add to that scenario some scary reflections, and you have reason enough to set the tent up in Tiger’s bedroom and give the woods back to the night. Though both Kipper and Tiger learn the sources of their fears, and hence dispel the boogies for the young reader, there is none of Inkpen’s usual unconventional slant, nothing to recommend this version of the scared-of-the-dark tale over scores of others. Except, of course, that it’s Kipper. (Picture book. 3-7)