A Quiet Night In

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It's Mr Large's birthday and Mrs Large has prepared him a meal, as they're going to celebrate with a quiet night in. But as usual in the Large household, things don't go to plan, and Mr and Mrs Large fall asleep on the sofa. So the little Larges sneak off to bed with all the lovingly prepared food.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

The fourth book about the "precocious, precious pachyderms" in the Large family is as "droll" and "spirited" as ever, said PW. Ages 3-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-Mr. and Mrs. Large and their four children are back. This time Mrs. Large wants her husband to enjoy a quiet birthday evening at home. Her ``helpful'' children innocently impede her preparations for a special dinner-for-two, and then beg for a bedtime story as a reward for going to bed early. Finally leaving their exhausted parents dinnerless and sound asleep on the sofa, they trail off to bed quietly, taking Mr. and Mrs. Large's special repast with them. Another hilarious chapter in the elephant family's chronicles, this is a definite winner. The illustrations are first rate; especially priceless are the expressions on the elephants' faces. The text is full of humor and instantly recognizable as true to life; the story is a fine example of a happy, loving family. Not to be missed.-Judy Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Ages 3-6. The Larges are back. This time, the pachyderms' parental goal is getting the children to bed early so that Mom and Dad can celebrate Mr. Large's birthday with "a quiet night in." Youth, of course, gently triumphs over age: the parents snooze on the sofa, site of the bedtime story, and the children take off upstairs to enjoy whatever wine, fruit, and bread hasn't spilled from the trays that Mrs. Large had prepared. Murphy's pictures have the same affectionate feel for children's daily lives as her text. The grumpy looks at bath time and the bickering over a storybook about Binky Bus and Micky Milktruck are vintage. ~--Mary Harris Veeder

Horn Book Review

The Large family, elephant stars of Murphy's 'Five Minutes' Peace' (Putnam), return for an evening at home and Mr. Large's birthday celebration. Again, the joke centers on the hectic pace of family life -- Mr. and Mrs. Large celebrate the birthday by falling asleep, while the children take the birthday dinner up to bed to share. The homey story is a suitable sequel. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.