Don't Climb Out of the Window Tonight

Full-color illustrations mark this story, written by a seven-year-old boy, about a little girl who comes up with ten excellent reasons, including flying ghosts and jogging giants, for why she should not climb out her window.

PreSchool-A variety of creatures-spooks, witches, bats, and aliens-make a list of 10 reasons NOT to climb out of a bedroom window. A turn of the page shows disaster awaits, although the repetitive pattern of the rudimentary text diminishes the impact of each new double-page spread, and the punch line is not strong enough to carry the text. The dark blues and greens in the illustrations and the heavy crosshatching establish a believable nighttime setting, yet their busy technique often overshadows the fanciful images. This book is meant to be exciting, but it is a less-than-stellar effort that may bore children who had no intention of climbing out the window in the first place.
Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Written by a seven-year-old, this endearingly goofy picture book reflects a playful illogic. A girl peers into the darkness, apparently in search of nighttime escape, but always finds a sensible reason for not venturing forth. "Don't climb out of the window tonight," the text warns 11 times, as a multitude of magical beasts, scary monsters and creatures from outer space lurk just beyond the window. Alligators take a midnight swim in the pond, bushes are home to Frankenstein and comrades, and witches hide behind the wall. Although the language is often musical ("giants are jogging by") and does not betray the author's age, the brief, deadpan text gradually loses its power to surprise. In contrast, Snow's dynamic artwork adds comic depth, with an unusual scratchboard-like look conjuring up a mythical night world. Beasties grin and leer in oversize absurdity, their rotund figures hinting of less-than-malevolent natures. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.