Professor Bumble and the Monster of the Deep

The titular professor is both a bear and a creature of habit: every Monday he takes his pet goldfish, Beluga, and bicycles down to the lake for a swim. But the routine is upset when a cranky otter, fishing with a pole, decides that a swimming bear will interfere with his catch. He convinces the professor that the lake is inhabited by a bottom-dwelling monster with “three heads and five eyes. And a huge mouth with sharp teeth. It can swallow a bear in one bite!” Beluga is undeterred, but the thoroughly spooked Professor Bumble waits on shore until Beluga, still in her aquarium, sinks from sight, and he feels obliged to rescue her, with the use of a goofy pool float. Napp gets lots of comic mileage from the contrast between the calm outdoor setting and his characters' hyperexpressive slapstick antics. But the text, translated from the original German, doesn't create much of a sense of personality or set off the story arc. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)