Chirri & Chirra Under the sea

PreS-Gr 2--The sixth outing for Chirri and Chirra finds them deep under the waves, where a delightful adventure awaits. They have fancy desserts, watch a fish song and dance revue, find a cave full of treasures, and then it's back on their bicycles to pedal up to the surface. Throughout thier underwater visit, they are welcomed and given gifts. The children seem pleased but not especially surprised by their fantastic surroundings and the hospitality of the anthropomorphic undersea creatures. Adorable illustrations show a softly shaded wonderland with many small details that reward careful looking. VERDICT Best for one-on-one-sharing, this gentle tale will charm both established fans and newcomers to the series.--Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

Chirri and Chirra ride their bikes to a beautiful, magical place. They unhesitatingly ride into a cave, where, at tunnel's end, they arrive under the sea. Pedaling all the way and never getting wet, they move along with the current and amid a multitude of fish through a forest of coral. An opening in the seaweed is filled with "seashell sofas," two of which are reserved for them. They are served lovely, unusual dishes, with the food hiding gifts: a tiny conch for Chirri and a pearl for Chirra. Afterward they pedal to a musical performance and then to a hall presided over by a sea horse, where they may each choose one treasure. Their choices are fitting and satisfying and will remind them of their sea adventure. In this Japanese import the tale is told in the sparest of language, only one or two simple sentences per scene and the "dring-dring" of the bicycles' bells. The illustrations carry readers along with Chirri and Chirra in the bluest of blue seas, through the waving coral, the lovely, bright, seashell room, the theatre, and the treasure hall--all filled with amusing and surprising details. The children present as stylized Asian girls, informed by the use of the gender-specific "she." Young readers will find much to excite and amaze in this gentle fantastical adventure and visual delight. (Picture book/fantasy. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.