Are You Awake?

Are You Awake?
by Sophie Blackall

Edward can’t sleep – there’s just too much he wants to do and wants to know about it.  So he crawls into Mom’s bed and asks, “Are you awake?”  That’s just the beginning of a long string of questions before Edward finally tires himself out and falls asleep.

This is a quiet, cute book, perfect for bedtimes.  The circular questions will be familiar to anyone who has had to put a small, inquisitive child to bed.  The soft pictures evoke thoughts of dreaming.  And I especially love the corresponding corner elephant that represents Edward on each page.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.

Mitchell’s License

Mitchell’s License
by Hallie Durand and Tony Fucile (illus.)

Mitchell did not like going to bed at all.  That was until his dad told him he could drive to bed!  When Mitchell was three years, nine months and five days old, he got his first drivers license.  It took him a little while to learn how to maneuver his new vehicle, but eventually he became pro.  And bedtime wasn’t quite such a chore any longer.

Holy adorable!  And wholly adorable.  This is a great father-son bonding book, bedtime book, and picture book.  But be forewarned: this may turn into a bedtime game and you may find yourself issuing drivers licenses to your preschoolers and toddlers.  The story was sweet, and I loved the illustrations.  It made a lot of sense when I realized that Fucile has worked for Disney – these illustrations immediately made me think of The Incredibles.  A total win.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.

The Quiet Book

The Quiet Book
by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska

Have you ever thought about the different kinds of quiet?  There’s the kind of quiet when you don’t want to scare away a bird.  There’s the kind of quiet when you’re in trouble.  There’s the kind of quiet when you’re under water.  There’s the kind of quiet when you fall asleep.  Underwood explores all types in ways and words that young children can easily wrap their brains around.

I feel like I hit the jackpot with these last couple of picture books.  This is high quality stuff I’ve been finding.  The Quiet Book is no exception.  When you read each page, you can imagine the kind of quiet that Underwood is describing.  And Liwska’s soft illustrations reflect them so serenely.  Can’t wait to find their next collaboration, The Loud Book!

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.

No Sleep for the Sheep

No Sleep for the Sheep
by Karen Beaumont and Jackie Urbanovic (illus.)

Poor sheep.  All he wants to do is sleep!  But none of the other animals seem too worried about something so trivial as that.  With so many interruptions, how can sheep possibly get a good night’s sleep?

I really liked this book.  Cute rhyming pattern, lots of opportunities for sound effects and exaggerated voices (always a plus in my opinion), lively pictures.  Nothing out of the ordinary or exceptional, but still a well-crafted piece of work.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com

A Book of Sleep

A Book of Sleep
by Il Sung Na

It’s nighttime, and everyone is sleeping.  The only one who is awake is the watchful owl.  He flies through the night watching how the other animals sleep.  Some are quiet, and some are noisy.  Some sleep alone, while others sleep huddled together.  But when day breaks, no one is sleeping!  Except for, of course, our friend the owl.

Holy beautiful book, Batman!  Il Sung Na is quite the artist.  When you look at the cover, the first thing that greets you is an owl that looks like he’s had way too much caffeine.  But each page unfolds in a soft embrace of patterns and color; it’s a beauty I’ve only been able to find in Asian art.  There’s not much text, which is a good thing.  Instead of overpowering the illustrations, they decorate it in a perfect complement.  Good for bedtimes or when you need to feel tranquil.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.

Interrupting Chicken

Interrupting Chicken
by David Ezra Stein

It’s bedtime for the little red chicken, but she can’t go to sleep without a bedtime story!  Papa says he will read her a story… only if she promises not to interrupt them!  She promises… but she just can’t help herself!  If Chicken hadn’t warn Hansel and Gretel that the old woman was a witch, she would have tried to eat them!  Or if she hadn’t warned Red Riding Hood about the wolf, he would’ve eaten her and her grandma!  And if she hadn’t warned Chicken Little about the acorn, people would’ve gotten upset over nothing!  Of course now Chicken is wide awake, and not all ready for bed.

The fun part about this book is the pictures.  Once Papa agrees to read a story, we get lovely classic sketches until BAM!  In comes warm, colorful Interrupting Chicken scaring away all the main characters.  It’s really quite adorable.  Children will love the abbreviated and interrupted versions of famous fairy tales by an excited barn fowl.  But be forewarned: you may notice your bedtime stories becoming more and more interrupted.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime
by Bob Shea

Dinosaur can beat anything!  A pile of leaves!  Roar!  A bowl of spaghetti!  Roar!  Chomp!  Bath time and toothbrushing!  Roar!  Brush!  But Dinosaur’s biggest adversary is yet to come… BEDTIME!

I discovered this book while browsing another blog that I subscribe to.  It was reviewing Shea’s latest book (Shark vs. Train) which looked absolutely ridiculous, and I wanted to see some of his other work.  To be honest, I think that this book was written by at least 4 of my college friends.  It’s so silly!  The rudimentary drawings and really short storyline make it look like this book was created in about 20 minutes.  But that’s what makes it great!  If kids don’t feel like they could write a book after reading this, then I don’t know what will.  Also, I would love to read this book aloud because it provides so many opportunities to make dinosaur noises.  Dinosaur for the win.

Image taken from http://www.amazon.com