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PLAYTIME? by Jeff Mack

PLAYTIME?

by Jeff Mack ; illustrated by Jeff Mack

Pub Date: May 10th, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-17598-5
Publisher: Philomel

How do you get a chimp to sleep?

An appealing towheaded white child in striped pajamas negotiates for bedtime with a wide-eyed pet chimp in this humorous, straightforward, near-wordless story. Colorful pictures with just the right amount of detail energetically depict these charming characters as they tease, scold, and frolic. Young children will delight at the assignment of roles—it’s the child who says it’s time to sleep—as the chimp mischievously insists on staying up to play with toys, juggle, and even hang upside down. The minimal vocabulary—the text includes only the words “bedtime” and “playtime” with varying punctuation—makes this a nice selection for very young listeners who can explore the narrative playing out in the textured mixed-media illustrations, which feature watercolor, collage, and digital tweaking. Now it’s looking like this chimp may never get to sleep! And yet…even as the exasperated child repeatedly informs the simian that it’s time to doze, a toy proves to be too tempting, and the two throw caution to the wind for a happy game of catch. Turns out that’s just what the chimp needed to get ready for bed—or so it seems! A pleasant and action-filled going-to-sleep book, this selection may prove the perfect antidote for a sleepless night.

A simple, fun-filled goodnight book.

(Picture book. 2-4)