[close] Lots of people know the nursery rhyme, "Hey Diddle Diddle," but has anyone ever thought about what happens each night after it's read? The dish runs away with the spoon, and, presumably, they come back later, otherwise the rhyme couldn't go on without them. But one night, when the dish and spoon take off, they simply don't return! The fiddle-playing cat, laughing dog (who turns out to be quite a grump when he's not playing his part), and the sleepy, moon-hopping cow set out to search for their missing friends. Along the way they encounter Little Boy Blue, the spider from "Little Miss Muffet," Humpty Dumpty's repairman, and a big bad wolf. But will they catch up with the dish and the spoon before the next reading? And can all of them dodge the dangers of an after-hours, fairy-tale world?

Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel pick up where the nursery rhyme leaves off in this witty, entertaining romp. Young readers will "laugh to see such sport," as characters from fairy tales and Mother Goose mingle, make puns, and occasionally join forces to find the wandering tableware. The hilarious facial expressions and lively scenes by Janet Stevens invite readers to stay a while on each page. Stevens is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Tops and Bottoms. She and her sister-collaborator have previously teamed up on Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!, Shoe Town, and Tumbleweed Stew. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter [close]