Wake Up, Dad!

A girl has been awake for hours, and tries a variety of approaches for getting her father out of bed so the day's fun can begin. But nothing rouses him--not the mention of a spider headed for his shoe, not a lick from the cat. Only her ingenuous suggestion that she will play a tune on her recorder for him raises both parents from their slumbers. The girl is welcomed into their warm bed, and everyone settles down for a few more winks. The surprise ending gives this familiar domestic scene a pleasant punch; Dodds's drawings, washed in watercolor, depict the early morning hours in a gentle, purple-gray light. Ages 3-8. (June)