It'll All Come Out in the Wash

Whether or not readers live with younger siblings who seem to cry incessantly, they will appreciate the good-humored absurdity of Gerstein's ( Arnold of the Ducks ; The Mountains of Tibet ) larger-than-life tale about a baby who grows to similar proportions. Wailing day and night, Marvin's newborn sister quickly outgrows her bassinet, her crib--and even the house. The colossal infant is then moved to an airplane hangar, where a fleet of trucks brings her milk and a construction crane delivers the circus tent that serves as her diaper. Just when it seems that nothing is able to stop the child from howling--or expanding--she catches sight of the smiling moon above. For the first time, the baby laughs, then falls asleep and shrinks back to normal size. Heightening the story's droll hyperbole are Levin's cartoony, detail-filled drawings. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)