TICKLEMONSTER AND ME

Haynes (In the Driver's Seat, 1997, etc.) has produced a visual script for a ticklefest. Pages on the right of each spread show the wordless story of Tough Teddy and his dealings with the ticklemonster, while pages on the right depict a parent and child acting out the Tough Teddy-Ticklemonster tale in the child's bedroom. Tough Teddy (played by the child) roams the woods, then goes into a tent to escape the ticklemonster's attention; the ticklemonster (parent) discovers and exposes Tough Teddy, who gets good and tickled on the feet, the ribs, and the chin. Tough Teddy is about to expire from the tickles when he remembers his secret weapon--the bear hug, which disables the ticklemonster momentarily. Haynes's illustrations--boldly outlined, neon-colored cartoon images--are suitably nutty. There is little doubt that these stage directions will be only a jumping-off point for most readers; just in case the story is not provocative enough, there are additional games included.