Rainy Day Magic

On a boring, rainy, windy day, two friends are stuck in the house and are beginning to get on Dad's nerves. Then they hide out in the basement and create a fantasy land to take them through the rest of the afternoon. Old chairs, rugs and boxes are transformed into banana trees, tigers and giant snakes. Victor and Joey (a girl) travel from the jungle, where they ride a tiger bareback, to the depths of the sea, where they encounter a seahorse playing solitaire and a friendly whale. Well-orchestrated, energetic drawings keep pace with the overall adventurous mood of the text through careful use of scale and color. The drab contents of a typical basement stand in contrast with the highly colorful imaginary land invented by the children. Camping out in the cellar turns out to be a creative solution to rainy-day doldrums and although this book may be enjoyed anytime on its own merits, it could provide some much needed inspiration on a rainy day. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)