Night Ride

Stopping off to rest, Daddy falls asleep in the back of the vanbut Gabriel is wide awake and ready for what follows. A large trailer backs into their van, accidentally hooking onto the bumper and towing them down the highway. A bevy of exotic animals climbs from the trailer to join Gabriel in the van. Their destination is, of course, the circus, where Gabriel and his just-awakened father are quite literally catapulted into instantif inadvertentstardom. Gay's luminous watercolors capture the magic and daring of being up while the rest of the world sleeps; it conveys with gentle affection the fantasy friendships of Gabriel and his animal companions. Unfortunately, the accompanying text is awkward and flat; and the reader's physical enjoyment of the book is marred by having to turn it sideways to view two of the climactic spreads. Not as purely satisfying as Gay's previous books but still an adventure. Ages 4-7. (August)