ONE HUNGRY BABY

British Coats's thoroughly adorable bedtime counting rhyme follows the antics of babies of all kinds. Young readers will delight in hearing how alligators, hippopotamuses, bunnies, pandas, ducks, kitties, pigs, owls, koalas, and teddies eat their suppers, make their messes, are bathed, dried off, tickled by older siblings, hear bedtime stories, and are finally tucked into bed by their loving—and exhausted—parents. While the emphasis on numbers is not overplayed, nevertheless the counting aspect forms an integral and important part of the book's charm, serving to unify the themes and actions. With its lilting rhythms and whimsical cartoon-like illustrations, this is one story that is sure to be asked for again and again, not only at bedtime. (Picture book. 6 mos.- 5 yrs.)