Tick-Tock

This Swedish import offers a story-time approach to telling time. A sequence of 12 spreads (from one o'clock p.m. to midnight), involve four animal friends and their canine caretaker, Will. On the left-hand page a clock face appears with a bold red little hand pointing to each hour, the number in question displayed prominently next to it and a two-line phrase; opposite is an illustration in watercolors and smudged charcoal pencil. "Tick-tock, it's three o'clock. When Hedgehog falls, we've all had enough," reads one passage, for which Will is shown comforting the flailing, red-capped creature as baby elephant, chick and piglet look on. By five o'clock, the friends get caught in the rain, at six they dress for bed and seven finds them brushing their teeth (what about dinner?) and ensconced snugly in bed. The remainder takes place post-bedtime, which means half the book focuses on the less active hours of the day. The spotlight then shifts to Will, who hourly administers to the needs of his sleepy charges until exhaustion finally overcomes him. Anderson's (Stina's Visit) muted palette is quite understated so that the illustrations tend to fade into the surrounding white space. Yet, the animal characters are endearing; and for those still learning to read a clock the old-fashioned way, this is an amusing way to enforce a lesson. Ages 1-3.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This bedtime story, populated with a variety of toy-like animals, will strike a chord with readers accustomed to wearing out their caregivers. A lyrical, brief text flows with no false notes as the hours tick by on each spread: ``Tick-tock, it's one o'clock,/Who wants to go to the park with Will?''--a dog with floppy ears and beret, walking upright. The children are a duck, a hedgehog, an elephant, and a pig, all smaller than Will. They climb a tree and ``when Hedgehog falls, we've all had enough,'' so the sobbing creature can be consoled. There is a little picnic, drawn with effective details--Will holds one child while reaching to help another, a familiar pose for any parent, although Will is positioning a glass so the elephant's trunk can go inside. Back at home, the little ones are settled into an array of makeshift beds, and, as the hours slip toward midnight, they put Will through the paces until he falls asleep in his chair. Gentle humor and affection inform every page of this childlike story, where soft watercolor drawings are perfectly accomplished with a minimum of line. The book will sing to those who love Jill Murphy's A Quiet Night In (1994), and translates beautifully to uses in foster-care and group-home situations. (Picture book. 1-4) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.