KITTY CAT, KITTY CAT, ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP?

The bedtime routine for this little kitty is filled with all the excuses she can think of, fueled by her reluctance to accept the end of the day. She holds out to: take one more look at the setting sun, play one more peek-a-boo game, pretend she is in outer space instead of the bath, play with her toes instead of putting on pajamas. Martin and Sampson’s simple text provides a reassuring gentleness while firmly bringing the day to a close. “ ‘Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, / you’ve finally closed your eyes.’ / ‘That’s right, Mother, / time for lullabies.’ / ‘Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, / I’m turning out the light.’ / ‘Good night, Mother, / I will sleep sooo tight.’ ” While the text has the repetition and rhythm that are almost always winners in books for this age, the scansion stumbles too often for complete success. A bold green typeface balances against the pale blue, green and brown hues of the watercolor-and–colored-pencil art that displays a hint of a Japanese-print aesthetic in the bold patterns and luxuriant drape and fold of towels and blankets. These enclose a likable, if not adorable, Kitty and her patient mom, first seen in Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? (2008). The patterned, rhyming text will be welcomed by little ones at their own bedtime, but as an addition to rather than a substitute for the bedtime canon. (Picture book. 2-4)