Beatrix is a well-meaning parrot with lots of love for her fellow creatures, but an inability to use her indoor voice or refrain from disturbing others in this amusing picture-book romp from author/artist Lita Judge. Relying upon her long-suffering friend Mouse to put things right, Beatrix gets herself into all kinds of trouble with the cottage cat, dog and goldfish. Fortunately, Mouse may find her friend exhausting, but she also knows that the exuberant avian has a loving heart...

According to the dust-jacket blurb, Judge herself has a pet parrot named Beatrix, so it is difficult not to think of Good Morning to Me! as at least partly biographical, a record of the real Beatrix's hi-jinks. However that may be, this charming picture-book offers a humorous depiction of a bird that, for all her tendency to disrupt the peace, is an essentially goodhearted being. I would imagine that many young animal lovers might recognize a bit of both their own beloved pets and themselves in Beatrix. The artwork, done in watercolor and pencil, is expressive and appealing, capturing the droll reactions of Mouse, Kitty, and Gracie the dog to Beatrix's antics. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories about exuberance and the effort (successful or otherwise) to cultivate self-control. ( )