Aunt Nina, Good Night

A delightful bedtime tale, this third book about Aunt Nina looks at the bedtime delaying tactics of a group of nieces and nephews. They have come to Aunt Nina's house to spend the night, but when it comes time for lights out, the children repeatedly find reasons they cannot sleep. When the nephews miss the nieces, Aunt Nina tucks them all into her own bed. When they miss their parents, she lets them call home. She lets them visit their pets, reads to them and even starts a pillow fight. Only when the children cry, ``We miss Aunt Nina,'' and she crawls into bed with them does the household finally settle down for the night. The repetitive language and lovable characters will soothe any child's passage to sleep; Aliki's pictures are full of children with rosy cheeks and striped pajamas, sharing joyous moments with an aunt they obviously adore. The watercolors are as perfect as the sentiments, embellishing each frame of the story with touches of humor and tenderness. Ages 3-up. (Aug.)