Bedtime for Albie

Albie is a little warthog with a long snout, as well as the savannah’s bedtime outlier. He’s interested in “rolling and jumping, sniffling and snuffling,” but as he moves between other animal families, he finds that his pals are ready to snuggle down and snooze. Albie insists he’s fine playing by himself, yet when he wanders alone in the night, his bravado melts. A more conventional story might lead to a close call escape from a nocturnal predator, but Ambrose (The Lonely Giant) dispenses with that possibility almost immediately: everyone looks out for each other on this savanna, and Albie returns to his mother without incident. A letdown? Not at all. Readers are treated to an unexpectedly rambunctious wrap-up, in which Albie’s pre-bed mud bath turns into a spontaneous, “gloopiest, splashiest, noisiest” community party; the watercolor and pencil drawings show happy parents and offspring kicking up their heels and making glorious splats and splatters. In other words, Albie gets exactly what he wished for—and what kid wouldn’t sleep like a log after that? Ages 3–7. [em](Jan.) [/em]