Hip-Hop Lollipop

It's bedtime, but a girl named Lollipop can't stop "dancing hip-hop." Carrying a little yellow boom box and accompanied by an equally enthusiastic cat and dog, she bops through the house, "Dancing down the long hall, / Bouncing off the tall wall." She stops by her big sister's room, where Tasha, a fan of techno, is dancing, too ("She glides heel-to-toe in slo-mo"). Together, in a scene that exudes sisterly solidarity and silliness, the two brush their teeth to the beat: "Head rotation./ Jubilation!" Eventually even Lollie runs out of steam, and some good-natured parenting sends her slipping into bright yellow pajamas and snuggling between the covers, dreaming of dances to come. The text by Montanari (My Dog's a Chicken) isn't rap, but it doesn't need to be--its catchy musicality and rhythm pay fitting tribute to a girl with boundless energy. Watercolor and ink drawings by Pinkney (On the Ball) are ecstatically impressionistic: lines curve and arc, characters defy gravity, and with swirling pastel streaks embellishing every scene, the whole house feels like it's in perpetual motion. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Erzsi Deak, Hen&Ink. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 1--Lollie, an African American preschooler, loves to dance and hip-hop is her favorite groove. Her big sister Tasha jams to techno--"She glides heel-to-toe in slo-mo," but Lollie is all about "Hands tutting. Knees jutting. Arms cranking. Body swanking. Hip gyration. Exultation!" Even when Mama says it's time for bed, the child keeps on jiving and Tasha joins right in. Next, Daddy calls "It's bedtime!" and the girls keep up their pop 'n' locking to the music as they brush their teeth, change into pajamas, and turn down the music. Lollie settles in at last, and before long, is dreaming her hip-hop dreams. Montanari's infectious text, full of rhyme, repetition, and onomatopoeia, begs to be read aloud. Pinkney's fluid artwork, done in rainbow-hued watercolor and India ink, captures a warm and loving family vibe. VERDICT A fun and lively bedtime book for exuberant kids who love music and have their own ideas about winding down.--Luann Toth, School Library Journal