I HATE TO GO TO BED!

A humorous take on a child’s typical reluctance to go to bed on time, from the author/illustrator of Who Hops? (1998). Told in first person, the young narrator is certain that the fun begins as soon as she goes to bed. Convinced that her parents are having a party without her, she devises ruses to spy on them. She builds a giant pair of binoculars, gasps for water, and hides under a blanket, but each time she’s caught and given a finger-pointing, “Go to bed!” from each parent. “But I HATE to go to bed,” she always replies. Black pen outlines the cartoon figures; these are nearly, but not quite filled in with bright acrylics, giving the art the appearance of a child’s felt-marker drawings. In a clever contrast, the palette dims to shades of blue and purple whenever the narrator is in her darkened room, supposedly sleeping. Most children will relate to the anti-bedtime sentiments, and celebrate the party of an ending, where dogs dance and clowns cavort in the young girl’s dreams. The parents’ final sigh of relief is almost audible. (Picture book. 2-5)