Books: Rhinoceroses in The Living Room

Chris Van Allsburg taps into children's sense of mystery

Peter and Judy find a board game under a tree one afternoon while their parents are out and take it home to play. When they roll the dice, strange events ensue: rhinoceroses stampede into the living room, monkeys trash the kitchen, an 8-ft. snake luxuriates on the living-room mantel. A monsoon erupts, and volcanic lava fills the house, until, on the brink of disaster, Peter and Judy manage to end the game before their parents come home. The house instantly returns to normal. But then neighboring children take the game to their own house to play, unaware of the dangers lurking...

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