"Tick, tock./The hands/on the clock/wish they were feet/so they could run,/as Chester, Leon,/and Maury/get ready/for midnight fun." This begins this truly strange picture book. Why does the clock want to run? Readers won't discover the answer to that question but they will be introduced to some number games. A few are self-contained within the book such as "Star Search" (looking at a picture and counting different colored stars) and "Treasure Blast!" (finding a specific number of objects that have fallen out of a treasure box). Others require additional materials, such as a deck of cards, chalk, paper, and dice. "Hot Salsa" involves hiding "6 things-like taco chips" around the house. The selections range from very simple to fairly complicated. Most children will need adult assistance to gather the needed materials and get the activities started. The collage illustrations have a 3-D quality created by a surreal mix of computer-generated pictures, fabric swatches, and dark backgrounds.
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