bedtime

Review: Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson

| Tasha

baby bear

Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson

Nelson returns with a picture book about a lost baby bear that showcases his luminous art work.  Baby Bear is lost and can’t find his way back home.  So he asks different animals about how to find his home again.  Mountain Lion suggests that he figure out how he got here.  Frog is rather busy, but tells Baby Bear not to be frightened.  The Squirrels suggest that he hug a tree.  Moose tells Baby Bear to listen to his heart.  Owl reassures him and Ram encourages him to climb high and keep walking.  Finally, Salmon leads him across the river and Baby Bear is home. 

Nelson writes with the tone of a folktale, a measured pace and a strong structure of questions and answers.  Told entirely in dialogue between the animals, the setting and action is left to the gorgeous illustrations to explain.  My favorite moment is the ending of the book where there is no family to meet Baby Bear, no structure of “home” for him to return to, just an understanding and a pure moment of realization that he IS home. 

Nelson’s art is stunningly lovely.  He uses light and perspective to really show the story.  We see Baby Bear from different angles, one amazing double-page spread just has a close up of his eyes with the moon reflected in them.  Each page is a treat visually, each building to that moment of already being home.

Shimmering and lush, this picture book will open discussions about what home is, mindfulness and following one’s heart.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland

| Tasha

runaway hug

The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Lucy is all ready for bed and asks her mother for a hug.  When her mother jokes that is the last hug she has left, Lucy offers to borrow it and return it.  Lucy heads off to lend the hug to different members of her family, making sure to get it back each time.  Each hug is different, some tighter others smell like peanut butter.  When Lucy gives her dog a hug though, the dog runs off and Lucy is sure that she has lost her mother’s last hug forever. 

Bland and Blackwood make a great team for creating picture books.  Black’s tone is playful from the very beginning and one knows that this family is something special just from the way they speak to one another.  Throughout there is a sense of humor and an enduring affection for one another that permeates the book.  Bland also does a great job of keeping the book securely in Lucy’s point of view, so that readers know from the very beginning that Lucy is taking this last hug seriously.  There is no laughing at Lucy for this, rather it serves as the heart of the book and this imaginative play is celebrated.

Blackwood’s illustrations have fabulous soft lines that blur and flow.  Blackwood leaves some of her lines from sketching on the page, creating a sense of motion but also a feeling of the connected nature of the world right on the page.  She also adds to the warmth of Bland’s writing, her home that she places this family in filled with warmth, some clutter, and reality.

A beautiful pick for bedtime, just make sure you aren’t down to your last hug!  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Review: Night Sounds by Javier Sobrino

| Tasha

night sounds

Night Sounds by Javier Sobrino, illustrated by Emilio Urberuaga

When the animals of the rain forest head to sleep, they are awakened by noises coming from a box.  The sound just goes on and on, “Wuaah, wuaah, wuaaah.”  Something is crying and won’t be easily comforted.  The animals do try to get it to be quiet, offering a blanket, water, and a doll.  But the crying only stops for a little while and then starts up again and again.  Finally Tiger heads off to find the mother.  Then the identity of the crier is revealed finally but there is more crying to come in a clever twist at the end.

Translated from the original Spanish, Sobrino does a great job of keeping readers guessing about the identity of who is crying in the box.  As each new sets of cries starts, their sounds change slightly and add variety to the book.  The structure of the book is based on repetition with some changes along the way.  It makes for a book that will work well for very small children but also has plenty of surprises for older preschoolers as well.

Urberuaga’s illustrations are filled with deep, rich colors.  They evoke the night beautifully and the animals sleepy eyes and lack of smiles show how very tired they are.  The reveal is cleverly done without any real visual hints, allowing it to be a complete surprise.

Great fun, this book could be made into reader’s theater with younger children and will also make a great bedtime story as long as a blanket, water and doll are provided ahead of time.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol

| Tasha

once upon a northern night

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

This glimmering book takes a lingering and loving look at a Canadian winter night.  It starts just before the snow begins to fall, one flake then more.  Then the ground is covered with a snowy blanket, a blanket just like the one you are sleeping under.  The book goes on to talk about the beauty of the winter forest, snow that will dust your head and nose as you pass under the trees.  Animals appear; the deer munch on the frozen apples, a great gray owl silently drifts by, rabbits scamper only going still when the fox walks past.  The book continues to talk about the beauty of the snow once the sky clears, the patterns of frost on window panes.  It ends with the dazzle of the snowy morning.

As a native of Wisconsin, this Canadian import speaks directly to my love of winter evenings, nights and days.  This lullaby of a book opens each poetic stanza with “Once upon a northern night…” and then leads into another beautiful wonder that is present there.  Northern readers will see their own love reflected here, others will start to understand the beauty and exquisite nature of winter.  Pendziwol plays with imagery and truly finds the wonder in each moment she captures.  It is pure beauty, glittery as snow but oh so much warmer.

Arsenault’s illustrations are done in nighttime sepia tones, the color drained away except for pops of frozen apples, owl eyes, fox orange and deep night sky blues.  The snow itself makes up much of the images, dancing in the air, covering branches, capturing footprints.  One can almost feel the coldness seep from the page.  Then there is the final page with morning arriving that is suddenly color and ends the book just perfectly with its icy shimmer.

This picture book is perfect for a bedtime story curled up near the fire or under toasty warm blankets as the snow falls.  It is a quiet and lovely book, one to treasure and share.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker

| Tasha

steam train dream train

Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

The author/illustrator team that brought you the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another gorgeous transportation-themed bedtime book.  The cheerful rhyme invites children to explore the different types of train cars and what sorts of items are stowed in each one.  This is done by a monkey crew who move monkey bars into the boxcars with tumbling moves and lots of bananas.  The hopper car is filled with bouncy balls by kangaroos and a helpful giraffe.  Elephants squirt paints into tankers with their trunks, each train car a different color.  The cold reefer car holds ice cream treats as well as polar bears and penguins.  Gondolas are filled with sand, beach balls and toys.  The autorack has lots of fast racecars.  The well cars have dinosaurs and their lunches.  Finally there are the flatbeds made into beds and the red caboose, the train heads off to a new day. 

First let me comment on the endpages which are done in train engineer cloth pattern and really invite young train enthusiasts to read on.  The book has that wonderful rhyme that is playful and youthful, dancing along merrily to the beat.  That sense of play is evident throughout the book, as the different animals load the train with things that will interest very young readers.  All of it has a silly tone that makes it great fun to read.

Lichtenheld’s illustrations add to that silliness with small touches that are such fun to discover.  Done in a soft yet rich style, the illustrations invite you to dream along with the book.  Their deep color captures the nighttime setting while the softness will have little heads snuggling in close. 

A worthy companion to the first book, get this into the hands of little engineers and fans of Thomas the Tank Engine.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: Again! by Emily Gravett

| Tasha

again

Again! by Emily Gravett

It’s nearly bedtime and that means a bedtime story.  Mama dragon and little dragon curl up together to share the story of the bright, red dragon Cedric who has never gone to bed.  When they finish, the little dragon asks for it “Again?”  Mama dragon agrees and readers will see another full page of the book that tells more about Cedric and his not sleeping.  Mama reads it one more time before falling asleep herself.  Readers will notice the little dragon getting redder and redder just as Cedric in the story is turning back to green.  But this little dragon has a burning desire for one more story that leads to a fiery ending.

Gravett cleverly reaves two parallel stories together here.  There is the main story of the little dragon who wants to be read to over and over again.  Then there is the story of Cedric in the book that Mama dragon reads.  The two play off of one another, with tension in one ebbing as the other picks up. 

The art is just as clever.  Towards the end, the little dragon shakes the book in disgust and the characters take a tumble across the pages.  This leads to the surprise of the ending, which is sure to delight young readers. 

A perfect ending for a story time, this book is one that young children (and dragons) will want to read AGAIN!  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue

| Tasha

sleep like a tiger

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

This is the story of a little girl who just wasn’t sleepy at bedtime.  Her parents agreed that she didn’t have to head right to bed, but she did have to put on her pajamas.  Then she had to wash her face, and that felt good.  She climbed into bed, because she loved the feeling of the sheets.  Then she asked about whether everything in the world sleeps.  Her parents explain that yes, like the dog being asleep on the couch where he shouldn’t be.  The book turns to explain about different animals and how they sleep from the upside down bats to floating whales to hibernating bears.  After talking, her parents let her stay awake in her bed.  The little girl begins to sleep like each of the animals, curling up like the dog, folding her arms like bat wings, finding the warmest spot like a cat.  Until finally, she is asleep like the strong tiger.

Oh what a bedtime story!  I had heard great things about this book and at first saw beautiful illustrations and a fairly normal story, but that changes and becomes something very special.  Once the little girl is in bed and talking about the animals, the language becomes more poetic and filled with imagery.  It is warm, cozy and infinitely inviting.

Zagarenski’s illustrations have a richness about them that enhances this bedtime tale.  Thanks to the golden crowns, they have an illuminated manuscript feel.  There is plenty of texture and pattern, but also a modern zing to the illustrations.  They are entirely winning.

This glorious bedtime story is a real treat to read aloud.  Get your own jammies on and cuddle up, I promise you will be dozing in no time, just like a tiger.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Tell Me about Your Day Today by Mem Fox

| Tasha

tell me about your day today

Tell Me about Your Day Today by Mem Fox, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

This is the story of a little boy who looked forward to bedtime.  He loved the kisses, the stories, the good night.  But most of all he loved the conversations he had with his stuffed animal friends.  Each of them took a turn telling about what happened during their day: “the who, the what, the why, and the way… the whole wild thing…turned out okay.”  As each character describes their day, it is told solely in pictures with the refrain above as the only words.  And each one builds on the last, creating a picture of a complete day together.  Then the little boy went last, describing his day and filling out the last of their day spent together.

This is such a warm and friendly book.  While it may be unusual for a child to look forward to bedtime, it’s great to have a book that celebrates that part of the day so fully.  Even better, it’s a celebration of a very busy day spent in wonderful play.  Fox’s use of a repeating refrain in each character’s story makes for a book that is gentle and reassuring. 

Stringer’s illustrations tell a lot of the story.  Each character had a slightly different day, told from their point of view.  When the boy’s part comes, they all reach a cohesive whole.  Stringer’s art is done in bright and warm colors, with the deep blues of night a welcome part of the book.  The characters glow on the page, some even seeing to shine light themselves. 

What a great bedtime read!  This book is best shared with your own stuffed friends gathered around and listening too.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Books.

Review: The Bear in the Book by Kate Banks

| Tasha

bear in the book

The Bear in the Book by Kate Banks, illustrated by Georg Hallensleben

A little boy sits in bed reading a book with his mother.  It’s a book about a bear getting ready to sleep for the winter.  The boy and his mother share the story together, talking about the pictures and the bear.  The bear eats and eats, getting ready to hibernate until he finally curls up and falls asleep.  Then the snow comes, and the little boy can almost feel the cold from the page of the book.  He looks closely at the pictures and finds hidden animals in the snowy landscape.  The snow continues and the boy snuggles in closer, the bear sleeps on.  As spring nears, the boy gets sleepy.  Just as the bear is about to wake up, the boy falls asleep for the night.  Now it’s his turn to sleep long and deep in a cozy bed.

This book is pure joy.  It celebrates both the written word and the art of the picture book.  Even more so though, it celebrates the connection built by sharing a book right before bed.  Just as the boy could feel the winter emanating from the page, here you can feel the warmth and coziness.  With my librarian hat on, I am delighted to see a book that models what reading aloud to a small child should look like.  There should be conversations about the pictures, questions and answers about what is happening in the story, looking at the colors on the page, finding hidden animals, and much more activity than simply reading a story aloud. 

Hallensleben’s illustrations have a gorgeous rough texture to them.  The paint is lovely and thick, resulting in rich colors that add to that feeling of warmth and home.  They also bridge the connection between the book and the family reading together, flowing seamlessly back and forth, uniting as an entire story.

Highly recommended, this is a book that will have you curled up and sharing it with your own little one immediately.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.