Under the Table

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Nothing is what it seems — and anything can happen — when the hilarious team of Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman sneak a peek under the table.

What do you do when you're having an ordinary day, only to discover there's a big gray elephant (named Nathaniel) under the table? Why, you get him to help you wash the car! And the kangaroo (named Abigail) that appears under that same table can help bring in groceries. But when there are penguins in the fridge, the forks and knives are running around, and the salt and ketchup are acting up, there is only one thing to do: pack everyone in the camper and go on vacation! With a wink and a nod, Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman reunite for another wry, comical, zany adventure starring the family introduced in The Runaway Dinner and The Pencil.

"A whimsical, rib-tickling good-night book for the very young." Kirkus Reviews

"The narrator's tone is engaging, and so is the look of spontaneity and happiness in the jaunty illustrations, created with colored pencil, ink, acrylic, and watercolor. A respected English children's book writer ever since the publication of his first book, Each Peach Pear Plum (1979), Ahlberg offers a rambunctious new picture book that's well attuned to a young child's sense of fun and great for reading aloud." Booklist (starred review)

Allan Ahlberg is the author of many books for children, including The Runaway Dinner, Previously, and The Pencil, all illustrated by Bruce Ingman. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called The Pencil "clever and suspenseful . . . a surefire delight." Allan Ahlberg lives in England.

Bruce Ingman has illustrated many picture books, including Boing! by Sean Taylor. He also wrote and illustrated Bad News, I'm in Charge! In addition to The Runaway Dinner, The Pencil, and Previously, he collaborated with Allan Alhberg on Everybody Was a Baby Once and Other Poems. Bruce Ingman lives in England.