cover image The Big Night Out

The Big Night Out

Thor Wickstrom. Dial Books, $13.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8037-1170-9

Bursting with ebullience, a mouse, a goose and a grizzly bear head out ``for a night on the town,'' dance 'til dawn, and encounter some unexpected hitches on their long way home in Wickstrom's rambunctious debut as author-illustrator. Profuse purples and yellowy-oranges dramatize the partygoers' exuberance, which climaxes in sheer abandonment on the dance floor. Once the penniless trio starts for home, however, the crisp pace falters somewhat as occasional wordiness and forced rhyme (`` . . . So you see, we are broke, / Now I beg of you, Goat'') dominate the adventure. Children may be concerned that the fun-loving threesome must surrender their clothes to Goat in return for a boat ride home--the delight of the onlooking crowd contrasts sharply with the hapless crew's anger and humiliation--but in general, humor and nimble graphic composition prevail in this well-intentioned tale. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)