ZEE

A young zebra searches for just the right eye-opener to rouse his parents in this slight picture book. When his mother and father wake up in the morning, Zee is allowed to join them in their bed. But when Mama and Papa want to sleep in, their enthusiastic offspring plans to gently coax the sleepyheads with the perfect morning elixir: "Coffee! They need coffee. Lots of coffee." Unbeknownst to Mama and Papa, Zee's first attempt results in a messy spill of the steaming bowls of café au lait (the bowls, which may confuse some American children, reveal the book's French origins). Reasoning that his parents will need cups "filled to the brim," Zee pours the remaining bit of coffee into his doll-size tea set. Adults are likely to balk at the depiction of Zee using a coffee maker and handling the hot liquid (much less pouring it directly onto his parents' tongues, as he does at the end). The airy, loose-lined watercolors feature spare white backgrounds, and a few gray strokes set the scenes. Ages 3-6. (Aug.)