TIME TO WAKE UP!

A disarming slice of real life: While Mom gently tries to urge him out of bed (``Open your eyes''), the little boy snuggles in, murmuring sleepy rejoinders (``Can I open just one?''). She flaps the quilt, tickles his toes, and finally gets him on his feet, clothes in hand, before leaving the room. By the time she returns he's snoring away again, but it's only an innocent deception. ``Surprise!''—and he jumps out of bed fully clothed. In a final twist, the boy has to wait for his mother, who's still not quite ready when it's time for them to set off for school. The warm affection revealed in each step of the interaction is as evident in Russo's simple, bright pictures as it is in her brief text. (Picture book. 3-7)