UNDER THE BED: The Bedtime Book

Two British pros offer some miscellaneous verse and glimpses of that time-honored battleground, bedtime. There are a couple of cozy scenes, but mostly it's mayhem that's celebrated: the usual diversions to postpone the inevitable; romping and resultant parental ultimata. An imaginary flight via winged bed concludes with a vision of a vicious, bloody axe-wielding creature lurking in a cave. Blake delineates the exuberance of these irrepressible kids with empathy and wit; his vigorous drawings are brightened with wash. A tasty slice of real life, but both slim and slight in content for the price.