Little Hobbin

Zwerger's exquisite artwork lights up the pages of this gentle cautionary tale by a 19th-century German writer. Hobbin, a demanding lad, loves to be on the go. Ensconced in a movable crib, he wears out his poor mother with his constant cries of ""Wheel me!"" One night Hobbins is delighted to discover that he can propel himself by hoisting his nightshirt like a sail, and, in the company of the kind old moon, exits the house and flits through town, forest and sky. But he doesn't know when enough is enough, and so the sun decides for him, bringing the fun to an unexpected end. It's a delightful bit of nonsense, smoothly told and lustrously illustrated with insets and whimsically bordered full-page art. Zwerger's restrained use of color and delicacy of line perfectly mirrors the tale's fantastical elements. This may well be Zwerger's best work to date. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)