CAN’T CATCH ME

Foreman returns to a theme he knows well: children who won’t sleep. In this rhyming story, Little Monkey thinks it’s too early for bedtime and dashes out of his African tree-top hut. He soon has lions, cheetah, elephants, hippos and crocodiles on a frolicking chase, calling out “Coming to get you and when we do . . . ” only to hear Little Monkey’s teasing reply, “Can’t catch ME!” As in many of his stories, Foreman includes a surprise: a giant leap into space, where aliens join in on the pursuit. The aliens’ appearance and unutterable “!” speech may be confusing for very young listeners, however, and will depend on the reader’s interpretation. They will be delighted once again when Little Monkey glides back to earth, where he’s captured by the jungle animals and returns to bed. While children will be “tickled” by the interactive ending, the story’s greatest appeal is the twilight-hued, mixed-media illustrations, which hint at the next adorable animals to appear. (Picture book. 2-5)