Another Night at the Museum

K-Gr 2—Larry, the sleepy guard from The Night at the Museum (Barron's, 1993), is back for another adventure at the American Museum of Natural History. This time he falls asleep in the Ocean Hall while wondering if he turned off the faucet in his bathtub. He "awakes" to his daughter's phone call alerting him that New York City is flooded. All the animals from the Ocean Hall disappear into the tree-high water. Melissa arrives just as the whole museum is pushed down Central Park West by the escaped blue whale and giant octopus. They sail past the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty as she frolics with myriad sea creatures. By promising them an even better adventure the next night, Larry convinces the critters to haul the museum home and return to their exhibit before morning. The trip back includes a quick stop by Larry's apartment so he can turn off his faucet. Trenc's pencil and ink illustrations aptly depict this wacky adventure. The colors-blues, greens, yellow, pink-work well with the underwater theme, and the sight of half-submerged New York icons will excite kids who recognize them. This zany story is awash in good-natured bumbling, sea animals, and dream logic. Sure to be of interest due to the popularity of the movie based on The Night at the Museum.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH