Would I Trade My Parents?

What child hasn’t indulged in the delicious treachery of wishing for different parents? The young narrator in this reverie considers how good some of his friends have it, with parents who are more lenient (Katie’s “let her watch TV until eight o’clock”), more adventurous (avid campers and convertible owners) or more handy (a plumber, an architect, a hairstylist). The boy even entertains envy for a kid whose parents are divorced: mom is a pet shop owner and dad makes sure “they have a great time when they’re together.” But in the end, the narrator sticks with the thoughtful, attentive pair he was issued at birth, because “I KNOW they’re the best!” Grown-up readers may find that wrapup immensely reassuring, and everyone will enjoy Bernardin’s lively slice-of-life drawings, which have touches of Mad magazine–style exaggeration. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)