It Takes All Kinds! Good Night, Families by Adam Gamble

Good morning, Mommy and Daddy!

It takes all kinds to make a world, and it takes all kinds to make a family, in Adam Gamble's little board book that celebrates all sorts of families and what they do together, in Adam Gamble's Good Night Families (Good Night Our World) (Good Night Books, 2017), as little ones wake up to an assortment of families.

Families vary. Some kids wake up to two parents. There are families with just one child or just one single parent. There are families with many children, and families with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins galore.

There are adopted kids, step-brothers and step-sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters that come with step-moms and step-dads, even step-grandmothers and step-grandfathers, cousins-in-law, great-aunts and great-uncles--the combinations seem almost endless, but all of them have one thing in common--they are those who thankfully come together to care for and love a young child.

In this little board book author Adam Gamble and illustrator Mark Jasper  try to portray all the kinds of people who come together to make a family, and Jasper's homey illustrations make everyone feel at home in their own sort of family.

Good night, different kinds of families, all filled with love.

Up to Ten and Down Again: Goodnight, Numbers by Danica McKellar

1 ONE

GOODNIGHT, ONE SPOON.

SEE YOU SOON!

How do we say goodnight? Let us count the ways, in Danica McKellar's first picture book, a math book, of course, beginning at the beginning with that first lesson, counting for one to ten and back again.

From the clever endpapers--counting from one to five inside the front cover to counting from six to ten inside the back, this one is all about numbers, set in the cozy framework of saying goodnight. From one bowl at supper, two hands to wash with Dad, three toy cars to put away while Kitty washes her four paws, there are always things to count. There are five points on the bathtub starfish sponge and six snaps on Mr. Peach's pajamas, seven days on the calendar, eight arms on the toy octopus, nine butterflies on the mobile above the bed, and, of course, all ten fingers and toes to get a goodnight kiss.

But that's not all, in author McKeller's Goodnight, Numbers (Crown Books, 2017). An actress on the series The Wonder Years and The West Wing, Danica McKellar is also the author of the notable middle-school math series, Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss, Hot X: Algebra Exposed! and Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape, but here she turns to the beginning of math-consciousness, naming and counting the numbers of real things.

With the able assistance of artist Alicia Padron, McKellar's just-right rhyming quatrains take a variety of young children through counting the objects encountered on the way to bedtime, such as six blocks, stacked in a pyramid, each with six sides, to put back in the toy box. But that's not all: on the wall is a picture with a repeat pattern of six sheep. On another page there are eight sides on the STOP sign, nine bars on the side of the crib, nine tuffets on the footstool, nine links in the paper chain draped over the end of the bed, and nine hearts on the quilt to count before getting to the end with ten and settling down to sleep.

Alicia Padron's warm and gentle illustrations are done in basic soft blue and lavender tones just right for sleepytime stories, with each double-page spread filled with plenty of counting objects to spot, adding some fun (and incidentally, settling youngsters into quiet activities before lights out.) Author McKellar adds an appendix for parents with an author's note for adult caretakers, with advice, called "How to Get the Most Out of Goodnight Numbers," with a reminder that "numbers are all around" and so are chances to count, all through the day and even at bedtime.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "...this sweet treatment of numbers and counting may be good prophylaxis against math phobia. The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon." "A first purchase for libraries," adds School Library Journal.

RRROARR! Even Monsters... by A. J. Smith

EVERYONE KNOWS THAT MONSTERS
ROARRRR!
BUT DO THEY KNOW....
EVEN MONSTERS PUT ON CLEAN UNDERWEAR EACH MORNING?

This monster tot is a little short on scare power. Oh, he has baby claws and a crooked smile, all right, and his fur IS green, but still, he's pretty downright cute.

And he does all the usual kid stuff. He eats colorful kid cereal (SWAMP MUNCH crunchies, with moose milk and mantis juice on the side.

With a SNARRRL, he brushes his fur with a small croc's teeth and heads off to Krudlump Elementary, where the ABCs begin with Abominable, Bogeyman, and Cyclops, and the proper way to write is with two crayons in his nostrils.

At home with an appropriately grisly GRRUMBLE!, junior monster Stewbo kicks the heck out of a soccer ball and destroys video game aliens with appropriate gusto and then has to finish his dinner, take a bath, brush his fangs, and get ready for bed. GROWLLLL! HOWLLLLL!

And what do even little monsters want at bedtime? A bedtime book called Even Humans... and a goodnight kiss? ZZZZZzzzzz!

A, J. Smith's Even Monsters... (Sourcebooks, 2014) story has no scary surprises, since his premise is that even monsters do all the same stuff kids do, even if combing the cooties out of their fur is not their usual revolting bedtime ritual! The fun in this monster tale is not in getting some vicarious shivers, but in the visual jokes in Smith's illustrations. Stewbo's underwear are whitie tighties with labels that proudly proclaim "USDA ORGANIC," a bit of grownup-pleasing sly humor which trots out all the monster tropes and set them on their head. This little monster is right down the alley for preschoolers, rather in the same vein as Mercer Mayer's earlier classic charmers, the Little Critter series and Jane Yolen's more recent How Do Dinosaurs series. For some serious monster bedtime fun, read this one with Amanda Noll's monstrously delightful twist on monster mania, I Need My Monster (see review here).

Lullaby-Me! Nighty-Night, Cooper by Laura Numeroff

COOPER CLIMBED OUT OF HIS MOTHER'S WARM POUCH.

"I CAN'T SLEEP," HE SAID. "PLEASE, CAN YOU SING? THEN I'LL GO TO MY BED."

Day is done. Gone the sun. The warm bath is finished, the fuzzy, footed jammies are buttoned up, and the cozy coverlet is turned down. It's that moment between the time when all the activities of the day are done and the very second sleep finally comes. For most of history parents have filled this time with bedtime stories and lullabies to take little ones through that transition, and Cooper's mama realizes that getting to that moment is going to take some winding down for her restless little joey. She decides to wing it with her own version of "Rock-a-Bye, Baby:"

"ROCK-A-BYE BABY, HE'LL SEE THE COWS...."

Cooper is now wide awake. This is a good game. He asks for a rewrite of one about mice.

To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell," Mama makes up a song in which warm milk puts the mouse to sleep. But the power of suggestion doesn't work on Cooper.

Gamely, Mama improvises on "Twinkle, Twinkle."  Cooper's eyes are still wide open. With prompts from her not-sleepy son, she sings new sleep-themed lyrics to "Mary Had A Little Lamb," and even "Jingle Bells."

"ARE YOU GETTING SLEEPY?" MAMA ASKS.

Mama's impromptu lullabies are working--on her. Her eyelids are heavy, and she stretches out on the couch. Then Cooper has an idea. He knows a song he can sing for Mama, his own version of "Lullaby and Good Night:"

"CLOSE YOUR EYES.
ALL IS RIGHT.
NOW I'LL KISS YOU
GOODNIGHT."

Laura Numeroff's brand-new bedtime tale, Nighty-Night, Cooper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013), illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, has these two notable picture book pros at the top of their game. The obvious rapport between Mama and Cooper portrays this battle-of-the-bedtime as a loving, shared ritual, with some fun for both, as Cooper gets to reverse roles and put Mama to bed, tucking his blanket around her and giving her a goodnight kiss. Munsinger's soft but insightful illustrations--her subtle expressions and good-hearted body language--all portrayed in the space of a cozy blue couch, capture perfectly that moment when the child begins to take over his or her own bedtime. Nighty-Night, Cooper is one of the best bedtime stories of the year, one which parent and child can both enjoy.

Blueing the Blues: Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff

DEEP DOWN IN THE DEN
BABY BEAR WAKES UP.

IN THE DEN'S DARK WALL
AN OPENING SLOWLY FILLS WITH LIGHT.
A GLOW SLOWLY CREEPS IN.

"WHAT IS WARMING ME, MAMA?" ASKS BABY BEAR.

"THAT IS THE SUN," MAMA BEAR SAYS.

BABY BEAR SEES YELLOW.

What does a newly awakened bear cub see when he first ventures out into the wide world?

In Ashley Wolff's Baby Bear Sees Blue (Beachlane Books, 2012), Baby Bear sits in the mouth of the den, looking out at a world that is completely new and inviting. The sun is golden and warm and something is waving at him. It's a twig with bright new leaves on the oak, waving in the breeze.

BABY BEAR SEES GREEN

With a visual tip of the hat to the look and gentle mood of Robert McCloskey's classic Blueberries for Sal, Baby Bear's attention is on the sights all around him: jays call to each other, and he sees BLUE. A dark shape darts through the stream--a trout--and Baby Bear sees BROWN; sweet strawberries dangle from the bush, and he sees RED. A butterfly touches down briefly on his head, tickling him lightly, and Baby Bear sees ORANGE.

But then the summer sky darkens, and Baby Bear sees it grow gray, suddenly scored by a slash of lightning. The storm is brief, though, and as it moves away down the hills, Baby Bear suddenly sees some familiar colors==but in a new shape.

"THAT'S A RAINBOW!" SAYS MAMA.

With his color education done for the day, it's time to seek out Mama's warm cuddle and close his eyes. Baby Bear sees BLACK, and that means the colors are sleeping, too--until tomorrow.

Wolff brings her lovely day book full cycle in a quiet but satisfying story that combines the cozy safety of Mama Bear's side with the excitement of new sights and new words in a concept book that preschoolers will understand and to which they will respond, answering the cub's questions after one hearing The story ends, like all such stories should, in a cozy goodnight. Wolff's Mama Bear is big and round and comfortable as she introduces Baby Bear to the wonders of the world, its colors and tastes, and her Baby Bear is fuzzy and round-eyed as he takes it all in. A fine choice for reinforcing basic color concepts and a fine parent-and-child story for any time of the day, especially bedtime.

What Time Is It? Time for a Hug by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green

WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
THE CLOCK SAYS EIGHT.
WHAT SHALL WE DO?

EAT FROM A BOWL.
DRINK FROM A MUG.
WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME FOR A HUG!

Phillis Gershator's and Mim Green's little book of hours, Time for a Hug (Sterling, 2012) keeps track of the time throughout the day as a charming Big Bunny and Little Bunny go through the day, punctuated by hourly hugs. With a clock visible on most pages, this parent and child premise tells, in charming rhymes, what they do all day--bake a pie, bounce a ball, take a hike, make and play with sock puppets--and soon it's getting late. What time is it now? That late? The clock says "Eight?"

PULL UP THE COVERS!
WARM AND SNUG!
WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME FOR A HUG!

Soft acrylic illustrations in primary colors and pastels by David Walker lend the right touch of cozy warmth between parent and child, with just a hint of the concept book in its subtle telling-time lessons along the way. Pair this one with Felicia Bond's latest, Big Hugs Little Hugs, for a sweet goodnight treat.

Lights Out! The World's Champion at Staying Awake by Sean Taylor

"GOODNIGHT, STELLA," SAYS DAD. "TIME TO GO TO BED."

Not a problem for Stella. She's fine with that. It's her bed buddies--Cherry Pig, Thunderbolt the Supermouse, and Beanbag Frog--who are not up for going down!

"SLEEP IS TOO SLOW!" CROAKS BEANBAG FROG.

"I'M THE WORLD CHAMPION AT STAYING AWAKE!" SAYS CHERRY PIG.

Stella knows she's going to need some imagination--and a bit of luck--to get her plush pals into night-night mode. How 'bout a voyage on the her trusty pillow boat, rocking gently on the soft waves of the sea? Cherry Pig soon succumbs to the gentle motion and drops into dreamland.

Then Stella puts the pillow into a box and beds down Thunderbolt and Frog in it for a dream wagon drive across the floor, and Thunderbolt the SuperMouse falls fast asleep during the ride. But Beanbag Frog seems to be made of sturdier stuff.

"I'VE SHUT MY EYES, BUT MY FEET ARE COMPLETELY WOKEN UP!" HE COMPLAINS.

Hmmm! Land and water transport hasn't done the trick yet. Time for liftoff into a space soporific. How about a ride into the wild blue yonder? Frog is air-lifted heavenward in a hot-air balloon, and the soft floating sensation finally sends him into slumberland. Whew!

SO THE WORLD CHAMPION AT STAYING AWAKE MUST BE STELLA.

OR MAYBE NOT.

Stella is satisfied, but too sleepy to celebrate her newly-won status, in Sean Taylor's newest,The World Champion of Staying Awake (Candlewick, 2011) and this slumbertime switcheroo puts Stella in charge of putting her reluctant charges into snooze mode in this little bed-NOT! saga. The straight-forward narrative is set off in charming color drawings against a white background, and the design shifts the pleasant poetry describing the dream-inducing sequences into artist Liao's full-bleed pages as Stella's pals take their trip into sleepytime land. Plump those pillows and settle down for pleasant voyage to sleep!

Verb Play: Bedtime Bunnies by Wendy Watson

BEDTIME, BUNNIES!

SKIP, SCAMPER, SCURRY, HOP!

Along with the familiar sandbox and slide set, our kids have another playground to explore and master as they grow--the English language.

Veteran author Wendy Watson's newest, Bedtime Bunnies (Clarion, 2010) is a simple-seeming little bedtime story, with cute, rounded bunnies bundled off to bed with the usual familiar routines--snacks, toothbrushing, pajama-ing, snuggle-story time, and lights out, all comforting and predictable pro forma steps in the traditional bedtime tale. Watson, however, measures and weighs her language sparingly and expertly, with each activity described by only four words--onomatopoetic verbs, with plenty of alliteration and rhymes sprinkled throughout to give them punch.

The bunnies don't just eat their bedtime carrots--they chomp, they munch, they gobble, they crunch. They don't just brush teeth--they squirt, they scrub, they splutter, they spit. Watson's rounded little bunnies bounce exuberantly through this nighttime ritual, four of them compliant, one just a little bit of a maverick, until all are finally tucked in bed for the final goodnight hugs and kisses.

It's a sweet story that'll have most kids moving toward nighty-night time themselves, but not without a little language lesson along the way. Bedtime Bunnies offers almost irresistible opportunities for parents to encourage a little bedtime wordsmith improvisation of their own and a bit of fun at the end of the day that sends the little ones off to dreamland with a smile.

Mush-Free Zone: Zero Kisses for Me by Manuela Munari

MAMA, I DON'T WANT GOODNIGHT KISSES TONIGHT. I AM TOO BIG FOR KISSES.

ZERO KISSES FOR ME! BLEAH!

A young bear issues his anti-mush manifesto. He's sick of sloppy, sweetsy smooches from the whole family. He's over being everyone's "Tootsy-Wootsy," "Huggy-Bear," and "Kissy-Snooks."

Mama doesn't overreact. She points out that she likes giving kisses, specially at bedtime, and laments that she guesses she'll have to be content with giving his stuffed bunny big busses, demonstrating with a loud smack. But our young protester is adamant. His person is hereinafter a kiss-free zone!

Then comes bedtime. It's too quiet in there. It's dark in there. Something is missing--that special something that has always kept the bedtime bad guys at bay before.

"MAMA!"

In Manuela Munari's Zero Kisses for Me (Tundra Books, 2010), Virginia Soumagnac's charming illustrations, done in cartoon-style thick black line and bright reds, pinks, and greens, comically portray the righteous indignation of the youngster who is taking his first steps into independence. An especially effective illustrative device is her personification of those unwanted kisses as bright red hearts with floppy lips or stripped socks. This is a story of a poignant moment in childhood, a natural and necessary one, and this sweet little bedtime book strikes a happy compromise between too many kisses and just the right ones.