No Jumping on the Bed!

""If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, no jumping on the bed,'' Walter's father admonishes. ``One day it'll crash right through the floor.'' Like all young children, Walter is unable to resistand, to his astonishment, he finds his father was right! Down and down Walter tumbles, wreaking increasing (if cheerful) havoc in apartment after apartment, and picking up fellow travelers as he goes. At the end, it's up to the reader to decide whether Walter's trip was real or dreamedthough a clever final twist argues for the former. A takeoff on a familiar and usually idle warning, this should be a hit with anyone who has battled over jumping on the bed. Arnold's illustrations, in a style reminiscent of William Joyce, richly depict the nighttime lives of the apartment building's various inhabitants and skillfully capture the sensation and perspective of tumbling through space. Textual puns and subtle visual jokes make this a bedtime story worthy of repeated readings. Ages 3-7. (September)