Ten in a Bed

Rees delivers an antic version of the traditional counting rhyme. Rendered in loose ink lines and burbles of watercolor wash, a buoyant household of assorted kids, pets and paraphernalia enlivens what could have been a simplistic story line. One after the other, the children roll out of bed and into immediate action, spilling into the rest of the house and yard, leaving trails of playthings and bits of breakfast as testimony to their adventures. The last child left in bed decides to stay there, but the other nine have different ideas. The concept of 10 children on their own in a boisterous but friendly environment will give some readers a vicarious sense of freedom. Rees's soft-hued artwork is both entertaining and gentle; and the endpapers, of children returning home or heading off to school, provide apt punctuation. Ages 2-6. (April)