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THE BEAR WHO COULDN'T SLEEP

Name: THE BEAR WHO COULDN'T SLEEP
Author: Caroline Nastro
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4268-7

by Caroline Nastro ; illustrated by Vanya Nastanlieva ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2016

Cuddle up with this Bear and his pillow for a just-right bedtime story.

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Bear’s mother and brothers are comfortably hibernating for the winter, while he tosses and turns.

Unable to fall asleep, he heads for the bright lights of New York City, where he enjoys the Thanksgiving Day parade, attends an opera, and sees the Statue of Liberty. He encounters other animals at the zoo and in the park, and he falls in love with a Jackson Pollock painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All that activity finally tires him out, but now he can’t find a place to settle down amid the constant noise and movement of the city that never sleeps. Finally he finds his way home to his forest and family and settles down for a long sleep. Bears and their habits are very popular picture-book subjects, and there have been a great many animals, humans, and imaginary characters who have visited the Big Apple. Nastro brings a fresh perspective with well-paced, simple, descriptive text set in type that’s woven seamlessly around and through Nastanlieva’s bright, detailed illustrations. Dressed in pajamas and toting his pillow, Bear displays curiosity, bewilderment, awe, joy, and, eventually, frustration and exhaustion, all with very slight adjustments to his facial features. Sharp-eyed young readers will notice that a small golden bird unobtrusively accompanies Bear throughout his adventures.

Cuddle up with this Bear and his pillow for a just-right bedtime story. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-7358-4268-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: NorthSouth

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
OUTSIDE AMELIA'S WINDOW
by Caroline Nastro ; illustrated by Anca Sandu Budisan

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BEDTIME FOR BATMAN

From the DC Super Heroes series , Vol. 1

by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Ethen Beavers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2016

This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.

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Holy bedtime, Batman!

In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”

This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Capstone Young Readers

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
NOUNS SAY "WHAT'S THAT?"
by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Lauren Lowen

- BOOK REVIEW
PERIODS SAY "STOP."
by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Chris Garbutt

- BOOK REVIEW
GOOD MORNING, SUPERMAN!
by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Omar Lozano

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)