EDWARD IN THE JUNGLE
by David McPhail & illustrated by David McPhail
Using underlighting and close shadows to give the art an air of fire-lit mystery, McPhail strands the bookish protagonist of, most recently, Edward and the Pirates (1997) in Tarzan territory, where he’s rescued from a crocodile by the Lord of the Jungle himself. After other encounters with wild animals, Edward in turn rescues the croc from a pair of collectors, then the adventure draws to a close when Tarzan’s yell turns into Edward’s dad calling him home for dinner. Children with a taste for danger will be happy to follow Edward wherever his reading takes him, or to take the hint and get lost in their own favorite stories. (Picture book. 7-9)