Mother Night

When Mother Night comes ``to shake her dark quilt / and let dreams tumble down,'' animal parents put their children to sleep. Mother Mouse sings to her children, and they dream of an orchestra of bewigged pigs and hippos; the fox children dream of riding their bucking bronco fourposter to save the ranch from a gigantic Mother Goose. The parents lovingly awaken their children when morning comes and the world is ``edged in dawn.'' The antics of the animals are distinct from the world outside their windows, except during the dream sequences where the real and imagined worlds are joined. Inside their cozy houses, theywear bathrobes, drink tea and cuddle in easy chairs, but outside, Cazet's ( A Fish in His Pocket ) sensitive watercolors portray a world of serene beauty where stars dot the landscape like snow, and black ravens are silhouetted above the pines. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)