How Many Stars in the Sky?

One warm summer night, the sky is full of stars and a boy can't sleep. His mama is away. After staring out of his window, wondering ``How many stars in the sky?'' he attempts to count them. Outside, he climbs up into his treehouse for a better view. Soon Daddy joins him, and the sleepless pair set out on a star-gazing odyssey--to the city and then ``deep into the country.'' Finally, ``too tired to drive anymore. . . we slept under the stars that night'' in the back of the pick-up truck. In this worthy addition to the ranks of stories featuring African-American characters, the lyrical rhythm of Hort's text is brought to vibrant life by Ransome's ( Do Like Kyla ) painterly illustrations. The almost-tangible richness of the summer night and its lush green foliage stands in striking contrast to the dark city streets with occasional flashes of neon light. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)