A sweet and simple look at bedtime in the Western world
This wordless going-to-bed board book is a cozy way to end the day.
First published in Spain, the story follows a light-skinned, ethnically ambiguous child through the bedtime routine. Children from Western countries will no doubt recognize the protagonist’s nighttime ritual as a mirror of their own, including bathing in a bathtub full of water and bubbles, using a Western toilet, and brushing teeth in front of a bathroom mirror. The child’s adult caregiver is a loving secondary presence, there to wash the child’s hair, read a bedtime story, and banish the monsters from under the bed—without ever drawing attention away from the child. Although the protagonist ends the book wearing pink pajamas and a barrette, laudably, both the child and the adult can be read as gender neutral. The ink-and-watercolor drawings employ a soothing, pastel palette ideal for creating a cozy, going-to-bed atmosphere. The images are full of movement and joy, and they provide the faintest outline of plot. However, the large amount of white space may hinder the book’s appeal for repeated readings: It only takes a few reads to notice all of the details, and the lack of visual intricacy may limit possibilities for creative storytelling, something that is particularly important for image-only texts like this one.
A sweet and simple look at bedtime in the Western world . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3181-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap...
A primer for little boys transitioning from their own potties to the toilet.
Jack is a cute, bespectacled tot wearing a large pirate hat featuring a skull and crossbones. He is busy playing with his teddy bear (which sports a bandanna and eye patch) when Daddy announces that it’s time to potty. But Jack has decided that he’s ready to give up the little potty and use the toilet like his father. Capt. Jack climbs aboard “his ship,” pees into the bowl, sits down and “does a poo,” flushes the toilet and then washes his hands. Proud Jack “takes a bow” while “Daddy claps and cheers,” proclaiming Jack “Captain of the Toilet!” Jack makes it look really easy, which may intimidate little ones, but they will probably be too busy repeatedly generating flushing sounds by pushing the book’s big blue button to notice. A companion title, Queen of the Toilet (978-0-7641-6659-4), stars a little girl. It follows the pattern of Jack’s story, except no child’s potty is pictured or mentioned. Bella seems to go directly from diapers to toilet, though the back cover indicates that this title, too, is intended for those transitioning from a child’s potty.
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap from child’s potty to toilet. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7641-6658-7
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
A positive approach to a difficult subject.
The latest addition to the Best Behaviors series encourages little ones to “Pick a tissue, not your nose.”
The opening spreads inform readers that noses are for breathing and sniffing but not for picking. The rhyming text, with a couple of clever lines, describes using a tissue, throwing the tissue away and washing hands to “Tell those germs good-bye.” Heinlen’s art, which is a step above other titles of this instructive, didactic ilk, uses a diverse cast of cartoon kids and grown-ups to model appropriate behaviors, rendering them with a bold black line and warm colors. The last two pages offer extensive tips for parents and caregivers on ways to gently discourage nose-picking through modeling, respect, redirection and persistence.
A positive approach to a difficult subject. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-57542-471-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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