The Get Well Soon Book

Ages 3-6. Little kids sick in bed will be cheered by this sprightly, silly picture book that shows lots of different ways that things can go wrong, starting with "Poor Cynthia centipede. She sprained 98 ankles playing field hockey." There's also Danny the Dalmatian, who breaks out in stripes, and Delia the dragon, who sneezes and burns herself. Each of the unfortunate animals appears in an imaginatively designed two-page spread, with the details of the pictures going for ultimate laughs. For instance, Cynthia is stretched across two pages, supported by a stool holding up her middle. Each one of her tiny legs is wrapped in a bandage. The watercolor art is reproduced brightly, so all the fun pops out. The book's concluding message about getting well will reassure children who are ill, but even kids who are as healthy as a horse will enjoy this. Ilene Cooper