To Bed-- Or Else!

Best friends Asha and Hannah share everything, ``even some of their toys . . . most of the time.'' So when Asha's mother has to work late one night, Asha stays at Hannah's. The two girls are so excited after playing together that they can't go to sleep, no matter what Hannah's mom does to lull them. Finally, in a scenario that will be familiar to many parents, she declares that the girls must be in bed and asleep by the time she counts to three . . . ``OR ELSE!!!'' After vivid imaginings as to the meaning of this ultimatum--``she might turn us into frogs!''--the girls go to sleep rather than risk such frightful prospects. Bogdanowicz's watercolors evoke the story with quiet good humor, but her pictures are occasionally at odds with the text and the angular characters are somewhat unappealing. While the story portrays an amusingly recognizable situation, the narrative seems thin and repetitive. Ages 3-8. (Dec.)