Hide and Seek

In a sequel to Seen and Not Heard, the exquisitely costumed children who live in the portraits hanging in Shiverhawk Hall, a British manor house, are “woken gently/ by a midsummer moon.” Discovering that the solemn twins who occupy one portrait are missing, the others, along with a small dog, clamber out of their own paintings to mount a search. Together, they climb down the ancient vines that cover the home’s exterior and scamper into the garden (“WE’RE COMING TO FIND YOU!”), accompanied by friendly owls, insects, and mice. The twins, in their white dresses and enormous hair ribbons, are visible in many searching spreads—the boxwood maze, the fountain, and the wood beyond—but Percy, Lily, and the three Plumsey children miss them until giggles give them away. The children’s exquisite period dress suffers from their nighttime play in the garden, but nothing truly frightening occurs, making Green’s twee, gothic-scented tale ideal for readers who prefer their seasonal fare sans frights. Ages 5–8. (July)■