Octopus Hug

The imaginative antics that tumble across these pages could constitute a manual for bored baby-sitters. When Jesse and Becky's mother goes out for the evening, it's up to Dad to dissipate their disgruntlement. ``Do you know what an octopus hug is?'' he asks, then demonstrates his all-encompassing hug. Kicking off an evening filled with his special repertoire of games, the ever-grinning Dad, resembling O. J. Simpson with his massive size and lantern jaw, offers to become a tree for climbing, a mechanical horse for riding, a spirited rocking chair, etc. Palmer ( How Many Feet in the Bed ) interprets the festivities rather literally in her soft colored-pencil illustrations; her characters' happy expressions seem plastered onto their faces. And while the book succeeds in presenting an African American father in a warm and engaging role, the one-dimensional, all-action story may leave some readers feeling as if they are simply sitting on the sidelines. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)