The Great Indoors

PreS-Gr 2--In this humorous twist on the phrase "the great outdoors," a menagerie of forest animals move into a home to enjoy the great indoors. The beavers move into the kitchen to cook and provide snacks, while the deer dance along with a karaoke machine. The skunks enjoy the electricity and cell phone reception, and the beavers are happy to be dry. The moose welcome the noise, and the bears work on projects with power tools. Before long, though, the benefits of the great indoors begin to wear thin. A beaver complains: "My thumbs hurt from playing Dam Builder 4 all day," the kitchen is a mess, and a bear breaks the bed. Finally, in a wordless double-page spread, the animals' facial expressions convey their frustration amid the chaos. The animals miss the outdoors but heartily agree to come back next year. The final pages reveal a human family approaching the door, relieved to be home and about to encounter their wrecked home after, what must be assumed, their vacation in the great outdoors. Cartoon-style illustrations and speech bubbles, alongside humorous illustrations (such as the bear working on a honey purifier), make this one a winner. VERDICT A laugh-out-loud title that's sure to be a hit with older preschoolers and early elementary students.--Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

Humans head to the outdoors to get away from it all--why shouldn't forest animals recharge their batteries by doing the exact opposite? That's the perfectly reasonable explanation for a bunch of critters surreptitiously turning a house into vacation central while its human owners are away. This is the real "simple life": a roof over their heads, a big-screen TV, a kitchen (the beavers cook lasagna and bring lots of ice cream), and great phone reception. "The most relaxing week of the year" says a blissed-out mother bear. But every vacation eventually runs out of steam ("I miss peeing behind a tree," a skunk says; "Who keeps licking the butter?" a beaver asks) and the group decamps, leaving behind a house that's definitely worse for the wear and promising to rendezvous at the same time next year. Cartooning by Chan (Georgie's Best Bad Day) has a naive goofiness that nails the void-the-warranty spirit of time off, while Falatko (the Snappsy the Alligator series) effectively voices both deadpan narrator ("As the days went by, things got less than perfect") and leisure-obsessed animals: "Good-bye, peace and quiet!" "Hello, dance party!" Ages 3-5. Author's agent: Danielle Smith, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Apr.)