The Pillow War - Hardcover

0-531-33048-6 From Novak (Mouse TV, 1994, etc.), an incomplete allegory that is something of a misfire. Unable to agree just which of them is their dog Sam's best friend, young Millie and Fred interrupt their bedtime preparations for a pillow fight that takes them down the stairs and out into the street, draws in the neighbors, and eventually escalates into worldwide conflict- -``Biff! Boof! Paff! Poof!/`Ah-ah-ahchoof!' '' Indulging his gift for comic exaggeration to its fullest, Novak expands the field of view as the battle encompasses land, sea, and air, until the climactic spread, which is brimming with armies of pajama-clad warriors half-visible beneath flurries of pillows. As Millie and Fred wear military headgear, and the fight doesn't end until Fred is hurt, there's an edge to the humor; Sam, understandably preferring to sleep peacefully alone, curls up in a closet at the end. Judging from the satiric overtones and all the frowning faces, Novak has more in mind than an exercise in absurdity--but when all the participants put down their pillows, smile, and go back to bed, readers will get a confusingly mixed message. (Picture book. 5-7) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Kindergarten-Grade 3?When Millie and Fred argue over who gets to sleep with their dog, Sam, the pillow war begins and feathers fly. Novak's cartoon style is a perfect foil for this typical childhood experience told in rhyme. As the battle escalates into bigger arenas, from their bedroom, down the stairs into the streets, and on the seas, ending up all over the world, the double-page spreads become increasingly busy, peopled with more and more kids frenetically bopping pillows. The ending is back down to earth, in the bedroom, and characteristically resolved with brother and sister agreeing to take turns with Sam. Clever details in the illustrations add to the whimsy of this imaginary adventure; e.g., Sam in a snorkel mask and lying on his back in the water and being rowed by three mice with pancake turners. The crowd scenes add a "Waldo" touch and the mice are familiar characters from Mouse TV (Orchard, 1994). It's a madcap escapade that becomes a nightcap story that likewise pretenders will smile over.?Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.