Asleep at Last

Jamie and Luke, brothers ordinaire, tease their way through a series that strains for whimsy. Lipniacka's plots risk the self-consciously cute: After a day's shopping, Dad succumbs to slumber while reading the boys a bedtime story in Asleep at Last ; Jamie and Luke, admonished to be more generous in It's Mine! , end up sharing a bout of chicken pox; School Trip describes Dad's frustration and Luke's excitement when the bus breaks down on a class outing to the museum; and Tooth Fairy finds Luke making off with Grandpa's dentures in hopes of cashing in with the tooth fairies. Bogdanowicz demonstrates the artless draftsmanship of much cartoon-inspired art; her illustrations even include words of dialogue. But she makes wonderful use of color, both in blending her hues and in accenting her compositions. On balance, however, the books are workmanlike if slightly derivative. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)