Little Critter Plus Two Grandparents Equals Big Fun

Growing up, I always got a kick out of Little Critter, the adorable spiky-haired creature Mercer Mayer dreamed up for an extensive series of picture books. I don't think he's supposed to be any particular type of animal, though I suppose he slightly resembles a porcupine. But he is a new species created by Mayer with furry features that make him more endearing but all the personality and trappings of a young boy.

In Bye-Bye, Mom and Dad, we get not only Little Critter but also a hefty dose of his sister and grandparents. His parents have gone away on a trip, so Grandma and Grandpa come to visit while they're away. With typical enthusiasm, Little Critter relates all the highlights of their day, though sometimes his description of events differs from what actually happens according to Mayer's vibrant illustrations - or at least he leaves out or understates some of the sordid details.

For instance, he tells us that when he helped his grandpa do some painting, he spilled the paint "a little"; the illustration shows a bucket of paint knocked over, its yellow contents seeping into the grass in a wide stream. Later, we learn that he gave his grandma a hand with her bowling ball "because it was too heavy"; he manages to lob it over into the next lane, much to the irritation of the other bowlers. My favorite of these slight misrepresentations occurs at the end, however, when Little Critter tells us how he spooked his grandparents so soundly with his story-telling skills that they begged to sleep with him for the night, after checking nervously for monsters in the closet.

While the Critter family is of ambiguous biology, there are several recognizable species that pop up throughout this book. First off, there's the dog, the mouse and the spider that appear on most pages; these are Little Critter's pets, and they generally reflect whatever emotions he is experiencing at the moment. We also see a squirrel in its natural environment. Meanwhile, we get a rhino grocer and a walrus concessions attendant, while fellow theatergoers and bowlers include a hippo, a giraffe, a crocodile, a bear and an elephant.

This is a cute, easy-to-read book. With just a sentence or two per page and so much colorful detail in each of the pictures, early readers should embrace this little fella, his lively sister and his doting grandparents, while adults can appreciate the subtle humor evident in the slight difference between written and visual accounts. When the parents are away, the critter will play; get in on the fun with Bye-Bye, Mom and Dad.