All in One Piece

Five Minutes' Peace delivered into the hands of readers a near-perfect reflection of a family's typically calamitous morning; now the adult elephants are dressing for an evening out, and their well-meaning but high-spirited children won't leave them alone. They stuff Mrs. Large's hosiery with toys, mess with makeup and clatter around in high heels. She, of course, loses her temper, which has the effect of subduing her children. But she inadvertently sits on a paintbox and goes out unaware that her dress is adorned with small bright patches of color. Sharp-eyed readers will spot this development; others will want to go through the story again to find out when it all happened. Five Minutes' Peace fans may not find the antics in this followup quite as funny as its predecessor. But with its resemblance to real life, this continuing saga of the beleaguered Mrs. Large and her boisterous offspring is still a delight. Ages 2-6. (September)