Sitting in My Box

At first glance, a story of a boy and an empty cardboard box would seem devoid of potential, but an elephant, a giraffe, a monkey and a host of assorted other jungle animals enliven the situation considerably--especially when all these creatures wind up with the boy, in the box. Things get pretty cramped in there, and the boy is beginning to wonder how to deal with his unwelcome company when a flea joins the party. The ability of one tiny flea to send an elephant catapulting into the air is aptly and hilariously illustrated. The quiet conclusion finds the boy in his box, alone again, with a book about wild animals in his lap. Agee's distinctive pictures are full of lush vegetation and lively detail, and the book's charm is heightened by its demonstration of imagination's transformative power. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)