Review by New York Times Review
SHHH! I'M SLEEPING Written and Illustrated by Dorothée de Monfreid. 132 pp. Gecko. $12.99. (Board book; ages 2 to 5) Eight dogs in a pair of quadruple-level bunk beds make for a raucous bedtime shuffle in this clever, delightfully illustrated oversize comics-style board book. A giant hound named Popov is snoring, which wakes the others, one by one. There's a request for a drink of water and some toy-borrowing and bed-swapping before everyone ends up in Misha's top bunk. He reads a story that puts them to sleep. All but the snorer, who wakes with the sun, wondering where everyone is. BLANCHE HATES THE NIGHT Written and illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix. Translated by Christelle Morelli. 24 pp. OwlKids. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) It's not that Blanche doesn't want to go to sleep. The problem is night itself: so gray, and "such a pain!" The worst part is you can't even play. Trying to chase away the moon, she bangs a drum and bursts into song, ignoring her mother's calls from the doorway. Soon her bed is a trampoline. With adorable, shadowy drawings, Delacroix ("Prickly Jenny") offers a refreshing c'est la vie take on bedtime conflict. The mom stays offstage; when Blanche finally conks out it's from sheer exhaustion. ROCK-A-BYE ROMP By Linda Ashman. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. 32 pp. Nancy Paulsen. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) "Sweet little Baby, rocking with me- / Who'd put a cradle high in a tree?" The dark heart of "Rockabye Baby" inspires Ashman's rhyming bedtime tale, which turns the scary nursery classic into a dreamy, surreal journey for a lucky baby. Mulazzani's painterly illustrations create a magical mood, with creamy colors, soft patterns and a rosy-cheeked baby looking blissed out by the trip. A hawk brings the child home to a smiling mom and a bedroom with a cradle and a groovy mural. GOODNIGHT OWL Written and Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. 48 pp. Disney-Hyperion. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) Things don't go as planned in the stylish midcentury-modern-looking picture books by Pizzoli ("The Watermelon Seed," "Number One Sam"). But his creatures know how to triumph over neurotic disappointment, and Owl is no exception. That "tiny sound" keeping him awake? He's determined to find it, emptying cupboards, pulling up floorboards - even, in a gloriously mad gesture, taking the very roof and walls off his house. It was just a mouse, but it's nice to sleep under the stars. HOW TO PUT YOUR PARENTS TO BED By Mylisa Larsen. Illustrated by Babette Cole. 32 pp. Katherine Tegen. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Watch out, parents! This hilarious book is onto you, with your hypocritical preaching about how important it is to go to bed. A demonic-looking cat narrates, telling the child listener to "take charge" and get those grown-ups to sleep already. Ignore excuses like "Just one more email," the cat advises, and "keep them moving toward the bedroom." Cole's frisky illustrations bust the lid right off the secret chaos of modern family life. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [February 7, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
I know. You are not tired, the family cat says to the family child before imploring the kid to take a close look at her exhausted parents: Parents are not good at going to bed. I have to put in a load of laundry,' they say. The daughter is then given a step-by-step guide on how best to put her parents to bed, complete with everything from brushing teeth to minimizing distractions (Phones. Magazines. TV. The cat), reading bedtime stories, and taking away their cell phones once they're tucked in. This is a cute, fun bedtime story with the roles reversed. Cole's exuberant pen-and-watercolor illustrations encapsulate the chaos of the household at bedtime dishes are overflowing from the sink, laundry is strewn around the apartment, and the walls have been haphazardly colored. There are plenty of picture books on a similar theme, but this is still an enjoyable and hopefully convincing bedtime read-aloud, packed with enough energy that it's sure to tucker out even the rowdiest of kids. (And parents.)--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Larsen playfully changes up the bedtime routine in her debut picture book, with parents and child swapping roles. The young narrator directly addresses readers: "Have you looked at your parents? Poor things. Just between you and me, they are not looking their best. They need to go to bed." She then shares point-by-point instructions on how children can take charge and calmly address their parents' unruly behavior, distractions (TV, cell phones, email), and excuses in order to tuck Mom and Dad in. "Now you can finally enjoy some time for yourself," writes Larsen, though, as in most bedtime books, the process of putting someone else to bed proves exhausting in itself. Cole (The Trouble with Dad) delights in the parents-as-rabble-rousers setup, cramming her cartoons with comic scenes of the young, tutu-clad protagonist trying to force her doughy, fidgety, and easily distracted parents into their pajamas before literally dragging them to bed. Readers should find lots to laugh over in the household chaos of this topsy-turvy story. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Jodie Marsh, United Agents. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-First-time author Larsen teams up with the brilliant Cole to produce this original twist on a bedtime story sure to entertain. By addressing the audience directly, the author quickly captures interest, and the close-up of the protagonist's parents seriously "not looking their best" drives home the need for her to put them to bed. What follows is a madcap description of her valiant efforts to put her meandering and demanding parents through their nighttime routine. Both parents and children will delight in seeing their traditional bedtime roles reversed, as teeth are brushed, pajamas put on, distractions put aside, stories read, and upsets calmly handled before goodnight kisses are given and dreams arrive. These expressive characters exhibit incredible movement on each page, such as when the young girl starts tapping her slippered foot as her father reaches to pull his sock off because it itches and her mother begins to shake a pillow. Cole's pen-and-ink lines add motion and, when combined with the rich oils, acrylics, and watercolors, generate stunning and exceptional art that adds depth and comedy to the text. The parents' slightly pudgy bodies and too small clothing, in juxtaposition to the size of their daughter, highlight the ridiculousness of this scenario. VERDICT This is a story that asks to be read aloud repeatedly, and its charm is that it will not get old for readers or listeners. Highly recommended for all collections.-Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Role reversal finds a little girl trying to put her parents to bed. Direct address aligns child readers with the "you" in the texta spirited little blonde, white girl who resists her parents' attempts to get her to go to bed. After several attempts fail, the text directs attention to beleaguered parents: "Poor things. Just between you and me, they are not looking their best. They need to go to BED." Cole's accompanying illustration shows a close-up of dazed, disheveled parents with bags under their eyes. Ensuing pages show the parents resisting bedtime due to adult preoccupationshousehold chores, cellphones, and so onbrought to humorous extremes through the art. The story unravels a bit when outright regression sets in, and the parents simply start to act as the girl did at the beginning of the book by resisting bedtime for resistance's sake. They even demand bedtime stories. In a rather predictable turn of events, when they finally go to sleep, the little girl is tuckered out and falls asleep too. Although the story falters in these ways, Cole's art is defined by its energetic line and humor, which help elevate the book as a whole. This bedtime book is good for some laughseven though it feels a bit tired. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
