Max's Starry Night

Max and his friends Big Blue (a turquoise elephant) and Little Pink (a not-so-little fuchsia porker) are eating green jelly when Max has what seems like a great idea: ""Let's go outside and wish on a star!"" The trouble is, Big Blue is afraid of the dark; worse yet, Little Pink teases him about it (""Big Blue is a scaredy-elephant!""). Max gives the pig a good talking-to ("" `But you're scared of swinging high on the swings,' said Max, `and Big Blue never makes fun of you' ""), then creates a starry glow-in-the-dark bedroom mobile to assuage Big Blue's fears. Wilson-Max renders his na f-styled illustrations in his characteristic thick brushstrokes and bold colors. His story starts out promisingly enough, and the friends certainly end up banding together. But youngsters may feel that they are left hanging as to whether Big Blue ever conquers his fear of the night. Ages 2-5. (Mar.)