Boogie Knights

Place: the castle

Time: late

Event: the Madcap Monster Ball,

the rockin'-est

knee-knockin'-est

beboppin'-est

party of them all.

It's impossible to sleep through.

Just ask the prince

Or his off-the-wall princess

Or any of their seven

(count 'em, seven)

Boogie Knights.

Publishers Weekly

It's midnight and all the mischievous spirits that haunt the castle are in a partying mood: "Wizards wiggle!/ Ghostlings giggle!/ Demons do their thing!" As the party progresses, seven knights (whose names include Sir Loin and Sir Prize) find themselves unable to resist the siren call to get jiggy. Wheeler and Siegel (who previously collaborated on Seadogs) have created a entire population of lively characters, from "go-go goblins" to mummies and serpents that mambo and samba. In a pictorial subplot, two reader surrogates-a little prince who nervously spies on the action and a winsome ghost princess who emerges from a painting-find each other and become dance partners. Siegel's artistic versatility is equally impressive and fun: his drawings range from doodled portraits that seem ripped from a sketchpad to handsome chiaroscuro vignettes that slyly spoof the gothic aesthetic. A freewheeling rhyme scheme and judicious use of color amp up the party atmosphere, though the text and visual elements don't always come together cohesively and can compete to be a focal point. Still, this romp is a cut abovestandard Halloween fare. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)

Lisa Wheeler was inspired to write this book after falling in love with the wonderful cats Ponder Goembel portrayed in Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea, their first collaboration. The ocean is the setting for many of Lisa's books, including the acclaimed Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta, illustrated by Mark Siegel. She lives in a small town south of Detroit, Michigan, nearer to freshwater lakes than the sea. Her Web site is www.lisawheelerbooks.com.

Mark Siegel was inspired by Cynthia Rylant's melodious homage to moonlit nights to take many long walks with only the full moon as his guide. The wonderfully atmospheric illustrations in Long Night Moon reflect many of the things he discovered on those nocturnal hikes. An up-and-coming visual artist and an aspiring author, Mark spends his days designing books for children. His first book, Lisa Wheeler's Seadogs, was published earlier this year. He lives with his wife, Siena, in New York.