You're Just What I Need
Originally published in 1951 as The Bundle, Krauss's (The Carrot Seed; A Hole Is to Dig) text gets a new look with cozy illustrations by Noonan (Dreamland). A mother, pretending to be mystified by a toddler-sized lump under her blanket, tries to guess what it is: Laundry? A monkey? Humpty Dumpty? Krauss's uncanny ability to capture a child's cadence has the youngster responding with cumulative "no" replies, so that her mother's first question gets a " 'No,' the bundle replied," the second a "No, no" until finally the seventh wrong guess from the mother (" 'No, no, no, no, no, no, NO,' the bundle replied") leads her to give up?and the bundle yells, "It's ME!" Cartoonish songbirds, fuzzy stuffed animals and a pastel palette give the realistic illustrations a nostalgic, sentimental air; their luminous glow also lends softness to the characters' skin and a palpable fluffiness to the bedding. Children are likely to enjoy knowing?and finally seeing?what's under the blanket, helped even on first reading by the feet peeking out. The sweet simplicity of this hide-and-seek story loses nothing in nearly a half century; the illustrations may be on the sugary side, but the playful affection between mother and child shines through both text and illustrations. A free gift card is included in the inside cover. Ages 3-7.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.