Tippy and the Night Parade HC
Publisher: Toon Books
Release Date: Feb. 11, 2014
Price: $12.95
Creator: Lilli Carre
Format: 32 pgs., 9" x 6", Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-9351-7957-3
Age Rating: 4-8
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
 
This is a delightful book for young children, all about how a young girl couldn't possibly be responsible for her bedroom filling up with animals overnight, since all she was doing was sleeping and dreaming.
 
Of course, her sleeping happens to include a little bit of nightly sleepwalking, and she just happens to acquire quite a following of animals on each somnambulistic trip, but that couldn't possibly be her fault, right?
 
Lilli Carre, whose other work is aimed more at adults, has successfully captured a dreamscape in a way that is accessible to children.  Tippy comes across as being the type of child who could get into scrapes without meaning to, and it would be nice see more of her in future books.
 
The sleepwalking itself would have done Little Nemo proud, as she somehow walks up and down mountains, through swamps and down gopher holes that lead to distant deserts, but the story is simple and very cute.  Aimed at early readers the book may require parental assistance with a few of the words, but the illustrations are clear and easy to follow, even if very odd and dreamlike in the sequence of events.  Kids with a good imagination will love Tippy, and wish they had as good an excuse for having a messy room.
 
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.