SWEET DREAMS, PEPPA

Two bedtime tales for George and Peppa Pig, with a built-in projector for lights-off visuals.

Auerbach adapts the tales from two episodes of the animated TV show. Peppa and George aren’t sleepy, so Mummy and Daddy Pig each spin a yarn. One features George, who grows to giant size after eating Baby Bear’s magic porridge and finds a dragon’s treasure. The other leads Peppa and friends, playing pirates, to bury a “treasure” chest filled with found materials—and then dig it up because Pedro Pony’s eyeglasses were accidently included. The projector, powered by replaceable button batteries, lights up when the cover is opened and is strong enough to send clear, still images of 20 details from the pictures, mostly single characters, onto a darkened room’s ceiling or nearby wall. Reading the stories and viewing the illustrations while projecting may require some dexterity though, as a flashlight (or cellphone) would be needed to see the pages. Also, there is no “off” switch aside from closing the book, so the batteries will run down quickly.

The conjoined stories are bright and lively enough without the gimmick—but it is a clever one.