IT’S TOO SOON!

As any caretaker knows, toddlers hang onto their day with a sticky-fingered grip, and for Anna, who is being looked after by her Gramps, the skill at delaying bedtime is finely honed. “When the castle was three stories high, Gramps looked at his pocket watch and said . . . Bedtime, sweet pea.” Anna, a bunny who looks as cuddly as her plush animals, responds with the refrain, “But it’s too soon!” Thus begins the bedtime ritual meant both to procrastinate and soothe. Anna guides ever-patient Gramps through clean-up, bath time, teeth-brushing, and, of course, story time. As sleep approaches, Anna’s ears begin to dip and sag, her one indication of fatigue. By the time Gramps reads the bedtime story, Anna’s tired ears lay over her shoulders and onto the fluffy pillow. Gramps’ ears are droopy, too. McMullen has an eye for perspective and a brush that colors every inch of the two-page spreads in powdery watercolors that span the spectrum. A snuggly last-book-of-the-night read that both adults and children will appreciate. (Picture book. 2-5)