An inspired bedtime tale laced with a wise lesson about listening to advice from friends.
How do you feel about bedtime?
A Black child breaks the fourth wall to list six reasons why going to sleep is no fun; meanwhile, a group of monster friends interrupt to explain why sleeping is beneficial for our bodies and health. “First: Bedtime is too early!” Second, bedtime routines are dull. Third, nighttime is frightening. Fourth, there is too much to do! Fifth, lying very still is a very difficult task, and sixth, fun cannot happen while you’re sleeping. However, as the monsters note, sleep gives us the energy we need to climb trees, bedtime routines include stories and hugs, monsters can be found under the bed at night (and some of them are downright adorable), bodies and brains need rest to perform well, and sleeping is when we get to dream. Finally, the child concedes that nobody likes bedtime—because everyone loves bedtime. Kilpatrick’s text is funny, like when the child acknowledges that one of their monster pals may have a point yet is quick to add, “Let’s not get distracted. Moving on!” Blanco’s cartoon illustrations are rich and colorful; the artist smartly devotes several pages to a dream sequence. In addition to curbing fears of the dark, this creative entry in the field of bedtime books also encourages kids to let others share their opinions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An inspired bedtime tale laced with a wise lesson about listening to advice from friends. (sleep facts) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-938447-45-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Genius Cat Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
For patient listeners, a fun visit to a mixed-up barnyard.
When a fierce wind descends on the barnyard, the animals hear some odd noises…and they’re coming from their own mouths.
The sudden wind unsettles all the animals on the farm just when they should be getting ready for sleep. Instead, they anxiously “cheep” and “cluck” and “oink” and “quack” and “moooo.” They shift nervously, pull together, and make all sorts of noises. All except Turtle, who tucks into his shell under an old log and sleeps. In the morning, though, the animals get a surprise. Pig says, “Cluck”; the Little Chicks say, “Neigh”; Horse crows, “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” How will they get their proper sounds back? Turtle has an idea, and he enjoys the process so much that he decides to open his mouth the next time the wind plays tricks at the farm: Perhaps he’ll catch a sound all his own. Chua’s cartoon barnyard is bright, and her animals, expressive, their faces and body language slightly anthropomorphized. The edges of the figures sometimes betray their digital origins. Though the tale is humorous and will give lots of opportunity for practicing animal sounds, the audience is hard to pin down, as the young children sure to enjoy mooing and clucking may not have the patience to sit through the somewhat lengthy text.
For patient listeners, a fun visit to a mixed-up barnyard. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-8735-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
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