Creative and inventive minds can make even the simplest task complicated and time-consuming. That’s the premise behind this picture book in which a young pig has set up an extravagant chain reaction in order to turn off his nightstand light. There is a method—or reason—behind his madness: his parents want the lights off at eight, but he doesn’t like falling asleep in the dark. So when he pulls the light cord string that hangs above his bed, it sets off an extended kinetic response that covers all four stories (basement to attic) of his house. When the last step involving a pulley, fulcrum, and sand is finally executed, the light switches off next to a pig that is peacefully asleep. Arthur Geisert’s delightful, detailed illustrations lay out each and every step of the process, which features a wealth of everyday objects used in highly original ways. (Ages 5–9)