Lights Off, Lights on

In the dark there is fear, illusion and uncertainty, but all this can be cured by the power and benevolence of light. Little Nicky is afraid of the shadows that roam his bedrooma stranger by the door, a huge spider above the chair, a four-eyed furry head under his bed. But when he switches on the light, he sees things as they really are, and the menacing shadows are vanquished. A serviceable approach to a familiar theme, Taylor's text consists of simple rhyming lines, with the additional hint that victory over the powers of darkness is only as distant as the light switch. The illustrations highlight the contrast between the two regions: objects immersed in darkness are blotted in spills of shadowy watercolor; they become crystal-clear in the glow of a light bulb. Ages 3-7. (May)