Undercover Brother and Snoop Dog: Secret, Secret Agent Guy by Kira Bigwood

SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY,

WORKING FOR THE FBI.

His trenchcoat and Fedora hanging on the door, the super sleuth relaxes in his PJ's and with his bullfrog-slippered feet on his desk, perusing the newspaper.

But a message comes through on his walkie-talkie from the intrepid chief, ordering him to grab his gear and get on the job. He stows his stuff in his kit, cleverly disguised as a third grade lunchbox--with ropes, grappling hook, and see-in-the-dark glasses. He slips downstairs on silent feet to surveil the security guards. Ah, there they are, busy listening to tunes on Alexa!

But his device begins to quiver with a message from headquarters. Chief directs him to a backpack stashed in the kitchen cupboard:

"SET YOUR TRAPS AND GET TO WORK!"

"IN THE SHADOWS SOMETHING LURKS!"

Suddenly the security guards send Spy Dog, who leaps over the deadfall trap set for them. Luckily, he's turned double agent, actually on their side! Grabbing the backpack in his mouth and trotting upstairs, he passes it over, and the secret agent guys attain possession of the contraband, a giant top secret lollipop concealed in the closet. But, OH, NO! The fake box broadcasts a call to the authorities!

MAY DAY! MAY DAY!

Could it be that their code has been blown? By a double agent sister...?

SECRET, SECRET AGENT GIRL!

It's "Curses, foiled again!" by a super-secret big sister, in Kira Bigwood's new Secret, Secret Agent Guy, (Atheneum, 2921), which we hope is the beginning of a brothers-and-sister secret agent wars series. It's a fun and funny kid pleaser, coded in spy lingo and a clever rhyme scheme, only slightly concealed, to be read and sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!"

"For readers looking for a little action and suspense in their bedtime story...." says Horn Book's reviewer.

The Countdown! Five More Sleeps 'Til Christmas by Jimmy Fallon

What are the longest nights of the year? If you are a kid, it's not the dark nights around the winter solstice. It's the ones before Christmas!

JUST FIVE MORE SLEEPS TILL CHRISTMAS!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S HERE?

I KNOW THAT SANTA IS COMING SOON,

"CAUSE I'VE BEEN GOOD ALL YEAR.

This kid has been unbelievably good! He's decked the halls with bells that jingle. He has nothing to fear from old Kris Kringle!

He's been a remarkable scholar. He's kept his pup well fed. He's eaten his food without complaint. But he dreads going to bed.

Why? It's those last five nights before Christmas with all those visions of sugar plums and cool new toys dancing in his head. Those five sleeps seem like a lifetime. He twists and turns. His eyes just won't close. It's thoughts of those gifts! So many of those!

The sleeps count down. Four? He walks the floor. Three? How much longer can it be?

He's down to just two sleeps! He's so excited he can't think of sleeping a wink!

And then it's Christmas Eve! There's even snow! The kid hustles about getting ready. Santa's snacks are out. Traditional songs are sung. Christmas stockings are hung.

ONE MORE SLEEP AND I'LL BE DONE!

Breathes there a kid who hasn't experienced Santa-induced insomnia? In Jimmy Fallon's jolly Christmas Countdown tale, 5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas (Feiwel and Friends, 2020), his little red-haired hero lies awake late into the night with anticipation, although, as his dog can attest, not so late as the kid thinks. Now that Santa's returned to his polar place, it's time to start anticipating the next year's Christmas day, only 364 days away! Grownups know that the joys of anticipation may be remembered longer than the toys themselves. But Fallon's perfectly rhymed quatrains and Rich Deas' lively comic illustrations done in vivid colors of the season make this one a joy to read aloud for kids who just can't wait!

For more pre-holiday fun, share this delightful Max and Ruby Yuletide story, Max's Christmas (Max and Ruby) by the noted author-illustrator Rosemary Wells.

Bella Noche! Hello, Moon by Julie Downing

GOODBYE, SUN.

The shadows grow long. Sleepy butterflies cling to the underside of leaves. Song birds flit to their nests.

DAY IS DONE.

The animals sense the change, Squirrels seek their dens. Snails creep under fallen leaves. The dog dashes for the open farmhouse door to sleep inside.

But the night animals are ready to go on duty.

MOONLIGHT CALLS. COME OUTSIDE.

Foxes pounce for a burrowing mouse. Owls fly on silent wings. Raccoons chitter when they find fruit with savory seeds. Bugs chomp on juicy leaves, while mice scurry at the shadow of a cruising owl. Baby foxes scamper to the shelter of their den at the flash of lightning and crash of thunder. It's time for these nocturnal creatures to hurry home and catch a catnap before first light.

HELLO DAY! GOODNIGHT, NIGHT!

And as the now wide-awake dog dashes out the open back door, the day begins again with opening morning glories all around, in Julie Downing's just published Hello, Moon (Holiday House, 2021), a hymn for the night and a song for the new day.

In pages wreathed by maple leaves of many colors--yellow green, bright green, and blue-green for the day and lilac, mauve, and deep green for the night, woodland places with the beautiful shapes of vines, toadstools and clover in all kinds of light, author-illustrator Downing marries her gorgeous colored pencil watercolor and acrylic artwork and the rhythm and rhyme of gentle poetry in a lovely tribute to day and night. As Kirkus Reviews advises, "Whether read as Zen nature walk, bedtime story, or gentle science starter, this story begs to be visited again and again."

When Winter Comes Knocking: A Story For Small Bear by Alice B. McGinty

 

WHEN A LATE AUTUMN WIND SWIRLED INTO THE DEN AFTER NOONTIME NAP, SMALL BEAR SHIVERED. Brrrrr!

"I SMELL FROST," SAID MAMA. "TONIGHT WE START OUR WINTER SLUMBER."

This comes as news to Small Bear. And she begins to worry, snuggling up to Mama to ask an important question.

"WILL YOU TELL ME STORIES BEFORE WE SLEEP?"

Mama Bear assured Small Bear that there will be time for stories IF she doesn't dilly dally in getting ready for hibernation.

Small Bear agrees, but it's hard to say goodnight when the sun is rising in the sky and her favorite hole in the Spruce is so comfy to climb into and it's so much fun to climb high in the fragrant branches. But she remembers what Mama said and collect spruce twigs to make a warm bed in their den. She joins Mama as they shimmy and shake off the dirt from their fur in the pond, its waters warmed by the midday sun. It's hard to resist spending the afternoon eating the acorns under the oak tree and the extra fat acorns that are still waiting for nibbling in the top branches.

The forest is filled with food and fun. But Small Bear must not dilly-dally! The sun seems to be setting. And where is Mama now?

"MAMA!?!"

Small Bear hurries back to find Mama, and inside their den their fresh-smelling bedding is waiting.

"STORIES?"

Hibernation means a long bedtime and lots of stories, beginning with...

"ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A SMALL BEAR WHO LOVED TO DILLY DALLY...."

And we all know what happens after hibernation, but Small Bear will have to wait for that one, in A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz & Wade, 2020). McGinty's storytelling is sweet and lovely, as are Richard Jone's soft-hued illustrations of a loving mother and a child who longs to play and to please. Hibernation means a long bedtime, but we, dear readers, know that story will end with the joys of springtime to come.

"... Forest scenes play out, together with McGinty’s expert prose and pacing.” says Publishers Weekly's starred review.

Midnight Peeper Creepers! The Froggies Do Not Want to Sleep by Adam Gustavson

These young dreamtime deniers do not want to snooze the night away. Instead, resorting to stealthy sneaking, they tiptoe outside where they can steal away through the night.

There in the dark they can hop happily, dance to their accordions, accouter themselves in dramatic costumes, and practice pedaling unicycles. They race through the dark roadways in red roadsters, joust with toilet plungers, and wrangle wild crocodiles. They want to practice ballet underwater, sing operatic arias, and pilot their spaceships ...

... ZIPPING THROUGH THE GALAXIES...

...DRINKING FIZZY SODA AND HOLDING BURPING CONTESTS WITH STRANGE, ALIEN LIFE-FORMS.

They do not fear jelly-fish-like monsters with squeezy, tickly tentacles that toss them downward through the clouds....

... and back to bed, in a tumultuous pile, to sleep, perchance to dream... while perchance a stray space monster rumages in a dastardly raid downstairs on their fridge....

And all this is done before midnight, with first-time author-illustrator Adam Gustavson's amphibian adventurers pursuing their dreams as nightie-night naysayers and bedtime avoiders, all the way to space and back. With strikingly conceived and drawn illustrations with a tip of the artiste's tam to Sir John Tenniel's and Kenneth Grahame's humorous amphibian characters, and told with a joyous narration in detailed two-page spreads, Gustavson's The Froggies Do NOT Want to Sleep (Charlesbridge, 2021) features fearless little frogs who live every child's dream of freedom from bedtime. This stupendously gleeful story of what to do when you should be snoozing is a five-star winner for picture book lovers of all ages.

Kirkus Reviews, "A zany, rib-tickling bedtime tour de force."

Song of the The Sleepy Sea: Ocean Lullaby by Laura McGee Kvasnosky

SONGS FLOAT UP, MOON SMILES DOWN

WHILE WE ROCK TO OCEAN SOUND.

A family sits, circled around by the sea, the littlest cuddled in Mom's arms, soothed by the soft sound of the waves. The seaside scene grows more still as night comes on. In the tide...

DOLPHINS DRIFT, MANTAS GLIDE.

SEALS SNORE ON THE SHORE.

The sea sings its steady sonorous song, a seaside lullaby's steady rhythm to the breaths of the now sleeping child.

The sybillant sea works its magic on everyone, child and adult, as everyone gives over the the ocean's song, in Laura McGee Kvasnosky's lovely lullaby of ocean sounds, in Laura McGee Kvasnosky's Ocean Lullaby. Framed by artist Kate Harvey McGee's charming black line and muted color illustrations, this striking picture book captures the mystery of the seas rhythmic ebb and flow in a gentle restful song of rest, just right for bedtime. Says Booklist, "This dreamy paean to the ocean’s mesmerizing influence [is] guaranteed to soothe little ones at bedtime."

And don't miss Kvasnosky and McGee's other collaborations, Little Wolf's First Howling and Squeak!

Sleep In, Mr. Sandman! The Nice Dream Truck by Beth Ferry

YOU MIGHT HEAR A TUNE, YOU MIGHT BE IN LUCK.

>

YOU MIGHT GET A VISIT FROM THE NICE DREAM TRUCK....

GET READY FOR BED, SERVING UP DREAMS . . . IN YOUR HEAD.

Driven by an appropriately starry-eyed driver, the dream truck serves up sweet dreams about summer or snow time fun, plenty of puppies, gumdrop dragons or scary hairy monsters.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

HOLD OUT YOUR BOWL AND GET READY TO FIND

A DISH FULL OF DREAMS THAT WAS SCOOPED JUST FOR YOU

BY THIS MAGICAL PAIR WHO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE.

In her latest, The Nice Dream Truck (Harper, 2021), best-selling author Beth Ferry likens going to sleep to meeting an ice cream truck with delicious sweet dreams for any taste, all done up in tasty rhyming text and inviting light and airy illustrations that float across delish double-page spreads by artist Brigette Barrager.

From Eugene Field's classic sleep-inducing sailing ship in Wynken, Blynken, and Nod to Sherry Duskey Rinker's Steam Train, Dream Train (Easy Reader Books, Reading Books for Children), the author serves up a yummy modern metaphor for a dish of sweet dreams from the bedtime frozen goodies truck--not just frozen treats but all the kinds of tempting future daring deeds and adventures for youngsters who board their favorite food truck for a glorious good night!

So take a break and sleep late, Mr. Sandman, and leave the driving to us! Sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!

Puns School Library Journal, "The Nice Dream Truck has something perfect to dish up for every dreamer."

Sleep! Sweet Sleep: Click, Clack, Good Night by Doreen Cronin

IT WAS NIGHTTIME ON THE FARM. EVERYONE WAS TIRED.

Farmer Brown was drowsing in his chair. The cows were weary. The sheep were sleepy. The chickens were snoozy. Everyone was ready to hit the hay (real or metaphorical), for the night. Everyone is ready, except. . . one.

DUCK IS NOT READY FOR BED.

Farmer Brown sings some lullabies. He reads Duck a story and discusses the editorials in the newspaper, turns on the white noise, puts on a shadow puppet show on the wall, turns off the light, and is soon sound asleep.

DUCK IN THE DARK IS WIDE AWAKE.

Duck tries to curl up with the cows, but the cow stalls are too crowded. He tries stretching out with the sheep, but their wool is too soft. The nightlight in the chicken coop is too bright. Duck goes outside the barn, where the moonlight is just right and settles down by the pond.

"BA BURP! BA BURP!"

"CHIT CHAT CHITTER! CHI CHAT CHITTER!"

The frogs in the pond and the bats in the tree above it are wide awake, and now so is Duck.

Duck relocates his nocturnal activities to the farmhouse. He knows where Farmer Brown keeps the sandwich makin's and the hot sauce, so he fixes himself a cheese on whole wheat with a spicy spritz for a midnight snack. Now that his stomach is full, Duck begins to think about turning in. And he knows just the right place.

FARMER BROWN'S MATTRESS IS FIRM, HIS PAJAMAS ARE SOFT, AND DUCK CLOSES HIS EYES AT LAST.

Everyone on the farm, even Duck, is now deep in dreamland--except for Farmer Brown, in the Caldecott-Award winning Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Good Night (A Click Clack Book) (Atheneum Books, 2020). Winner of the Caldecott Award for the first book in this series, Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type, illustrator Betsy Lewin's endearingly droll farm animals and long-suffering Farmer Brown are in good form in this tenth book in the series starring the quirky insomniac quacker, Duck.

Boasts Kirkus Reviews, "Bucolic bedtime done right."

For more down-on-the-farm fun by Cronin, Lewin, and Co., see all my reviews here

WARNING! Child in Charge! Lights Out, Leonard! by Josh Pyke

LEONARD WAS NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK.

THAT WOULD BE SILLY.

It's not the dark. No, it's those denizens of the deep dark of his bedroom that give Leonard the willies!

"THERE'S A THREE HEADED, EIGHT-ARMED TWELVE-LEGGED, HAIRY, SCARY-FACED CREATURE IN THE CORNER! PLEASE, LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON!"

Mom agrees to leave the lights on for five minutes, while she goes downstairs to settle down with Dad on the couch in front of the TV. Leonard is half-asleep when Dad comes up to switch off the light for what he hopes is the final lights-out of the night.

"NO!"

Leonard tells Dad about the scaly-waily critter waiting in the corner and begs him to leave the lights on. Dad gives him another five minutes of light and goes downstairs to put on the teakettle. After a while, both parents peek in to check on Leonard. His eyes are closed and he looks like he is asleep, but when Mom switches off the lamp, Leonard pops up, claiming there is a bat-winged, fangy beast now holding down the designated monster spot in that corner.

The lights stay on all night. Leonard's mom and dad grow tired of the nightly routine. But like it or not, Leonard's monsters make their appearance every night, and his light stays on, a beacon to the whole neighborhood.

But one day there is a mysterious but intriguing book on his bed, HOW TO FRIGHTEN MONSTERS. On the last page is a tear-out poster, sharing a list of some little-known monster repellants:

1. MINTY BREATH. (Shrivels monsters to dust)

2. TIDY BEDROOMS (Offers no place to hide)

3. TEDDY BEARS, ETC, (Eject foes through ceiling)

4. GENTLE MUSIC (Dries up monsters like old playdough)

5. PARENTAL KISSES (Produces a parental spit force-field that sucks monsters away, never to return)

Empowered, Leonard makes a proud poster for his bedroom door:

BEWARE OF THE CHILD

And now the lights go out every night at bedtime, right after Leonard gets a big, juicy bedtime kiss from Mom, in the illustrations Josh Pyke om this jolly bedtime tale of the things that go bump in the night. Not since the classic book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are took back the night and outsmarted his monstrous nemeses has there been a bedtime story quite like this one--author Josh Pyke's empathetic tale of the bedtime terrors, Lights Out, Leonard. (available from Amazon). Artist Chris Nixon provides just the right shadowy deep blue and charcoal black background illustrations, contrasted with the burnt orange of little Leonard in his foxy pajamas, perfect companions to this clever story of weary parents and vanquished nighttime bugaboos. Let there be light for all the Leonards who need it in the night!

Be Quiet and Listen! It's So Quiet! A Not--Quite Going to Bed Book by Sherri Duskey Rinker

 

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, THE SUN DROPS BELOW THE HILL.

THE FARM IS FALLING QUIET. EVERYTHING IS STILL.

When the sun disappears behind the trees around the little farmhouse, it's getting close to bedtime for a little mouse, but Grandpa and his old hound dog already have a headstart on the front porch, Grandpa dozing in his rocker and Hound Dog on his little rug. Inside Mama is trying to move her little Mouse toward bedtime. He has a complaint.

"IT'S TOO QUIET!"

But outside his bedroom the moths' wings slap with a soft SHAH SHAH against the outside light, and the crickets tune up their chirps. As the moon rises, the bullfrogs in the pond warm up their croaks. The barn owl on the chimney hoots a first soft WHOOOOO! The screen door adds to the symphony as the breeze begins to make the screen door squeak and chreak-chreeeaaak back and forth.

Grandpa's doze slips into sleep and he begins to snore loudly in his rocker. The dreaming dog's tail begins to slap the porch floor.

SNORT!

BLOOP! BLOOP! BLOOP!

TIP-TAP TIP-TAP

And then, from far, far away a coyote howls....

A-ROOOO!

Up goes the window. Mouse sticks his head out and yells...

"QUIET! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

And finally Mama's words come back to him.

"HUSH! NOT A PEEP!

THE SWEET SOUNDS OF NIGHT WILL WHISPER YOU TO SLEEP."

And so they do at last, in Sherri Duskey Rinker's latest, It's So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to-Bed Book (Chronicle Books, 2021). As in her first hit, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Hardcover Books for Toddlers, Preschool Books for Kids) and the books that have followed, (see reviews here), wordsmith Rinker knows how to select words that make the text come alive.

Illustrator Tony Facile's soft palette and easy lines and Rinker's ready rhymes, rhythms, onomatopoeia, and alliteration give this soothing, not-quite bedtime story great appeal as a read aloud for one child or a group which will no doubt enjoy chiming in on all the natural night sounds and coming up with some of sounds that darkness brings to their own houses. This newest picture book is a winner for Rinker!

Voyage to Bedtime! Off to See the Sea by Nikki Grimes

"BATHTIME," I WHISPER IN YOUR EAR."

GAMETIME! thinks the toddler child, scuttling to hide beside the sofa where dad grins and points a thumb to Mom, on the trail of the little escapee, who stifles his giggles, hand over mouth, as he begins the nightly game on the way to bedtime. Little bedtime deniers are common and mom, already in her comfy clothes, is up for the game!

And Mama knows just the right metaphor to entice the tot.

"COME!" I COO.

"BATHTIME IS FULL OF MAGIC!"

The flowing faucet becomes a tropical waterfall that fills the lake and the child slip-slides into the soap-bubbly waters.

"MONSTERS AHEAD!"

A rubber ducky rises from the deeps, but he bobs away as the child's feet kick up giant waves to deflect the yellow monster and they...

"...CRASH ON THE SHORE... ... THE FLOOR!"

Big shiny bubbles bounce into the air, reflecting their faces, as the tot dives into the water's depths. But Mama knows what he seeks and quickly, before he can make his move, she...

"...PULLS THE PLUG!"

With blubs and glubs the waters of the world swirl away as if by more bathtime magic, and despite the squeals, as Dad flies the toddler up, up, and away into the towel, there is that welcome sign of parental victory for yet another night.

"YOU... YAWN."

Parents know that bedtime can be a battle royale and/or a little bit of heaven, as Nikki Grimes' poetic story, Off to See the Sea (Soucebooks/Jabberwocky Books, 2021), reveals with great charm and skillful storytelling. The award-winning author is joined by artist Elizabeth Zenon, whose artful mixed-media illustrations will make even veteran parents remember and reminisce over the memories of a warm, sweet-smelling toddler's yawns and snuggles. Bathtime is magic, a magical transition toward sleep in a child's day, made memorable in this gentle story for parents and young children. Says Booklist, "This ebullient account of a common childhood experience bursts with love and universal appeal."

Bedtime Countdown: Arithmechicks Take Away by Ann Marie Stephens

TEN CHICKS IN THE COOP WITH THEIR FRIEND MOUSE!MAMA SQUAWKS! "TIME TO HIT THE HAY!"

NO WAY!" THEY SAY!

Arithmechicks scatter for cover, with one hightailing it to conceal himself behind Mouse. Mama does the arithmetic. 10-1= 9. Mama catches three. 9-3=6. Four chicks hunker down, but Mama catches them. 6-4=2. The two chicks split up.

READY OR NOT HERE COMES MAMA!

But just as Mama corrals them all, one chick calls for a subtraction redaction! They scoot and scurry and conceal themselves again, in cubbies and cabinets--all except for 1. 10-1=9!

But Mama swoops down and wraps her feathery wings around that one wayward Chickie Little. It's a happy hug. Now the others are jealous.

WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US?

Now that it's getting dark in the chicken coop, they are ready for a bedtime story and to hop quickly into their nesting boxes to count sheep--or whatever chicks count to fall asleep. Mama counts chicks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 little nestling chicks snoozing--and one mouse, too.

The Arithmechicks are back, in Ann Marie Stephens' brand new mathematical exercise book, Arithmechicks Take Away: A Math Story (Boyd's Mill Press, 2020).

The youngest kids will love counting up the chicks as they scurry to hide in different combinations of numbers, while older arithmetickers will enjoy discovering the different patterns in which the clever chicks conceal themselves in the snug chicken coop. How many different ways are there to make a group of ten chicks? Let's count the ways, and in her appendix, author Stephens provides diagrams--a decomposer, a number line, a number bond, and a subtraction equation, and even that original calculator--ten fingers--all ways to come to ten. Artist Jia Liu individualizes each chick and alternately conceals and reveals their hiding places for counting fun for preschoolers and primary students.

Pair this one with its companion book, Arithmechicks Add Up: A Math Story. Kirkus Reviews' account says, "Feathery fun for the newly numerate. Take it away, Arithmechicks!"

Hair Today, Hair Tonight! The Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Reed

IN MY FAMILY, WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, OUR HAIR GOES UP!

Everyone in the family has a special bedtime hair routine to help them look good in the morning. Daddy covers his hair with a wave cap. Sis winds her hair around in a tall updo. Grandma rolls her hair up on big curlers all over her head. Big Brother winds his locs tight and ties a durag over them. Mom pulls hers up high and wraps a scarf all around it.

GRANDPA DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO HIS HAIR--BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY!

Grandpa does, however, have hair jokes:

"WHY DOES THE BEE HAVE STICKY HAIR?"

"BECAUSE HE USES A HONEYCOMB!"

And then it is time for the younger sister to get her night-do. She sits still while her mom braids her hair up into a crown. Now it's time to put on her bedtime bonnet. But where can it be? She can't go to bed without it!

IT'S AS IMPORTANT AS BRUSHING MY TEETH! SHE FRETS.

There's a full-court search for the bonnet! Everyone looks everywhere, except for Grandpa, reading behind his newspaper and Big Brother who strolls in with a smug look on his face.

"ASK GRANDPA!" HE SUGGESTS.

The frantic quest for the bedtime bonnet ends with a big laugh when Grandpa pops out from behind his paper wearing the poofy, flowery bed bonnet, in Nancy Reed's unusual bedtime story, Bedtime Bonnet (Random House, 2020). In this humorous tale of hair care, Nancy Reed's sweet family story joins the genre which must have begun with Rapunzel! Reed's latest is in fetching style with the charming illustrations of Nneka Myers, and with this story joins the ranks of notable and laughable tales of living with those locks. (For more funny hair stories, read my reviews here).

Undercover Report: Time for Bed's Story by Monica Arnaldo

Bed has got a some job grievances, and he's not taking his treatment lying down!

HELLO? BED HERE.

YES, BED.

BED HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.

He gets it that kids don't necessarily love him at bedtime. He's used to excuses like a needing a few more minutes to finish a game or yet another drink of water, or one more story. He's a professional and knows those excuses go with the territory.

BUT LOOK! YOU ARE NOT SO GREAT EITHER!

You kick all night! You drool stinky slobber all over. Yeah, yeah. You say you brush your teeth.

BUT BED IS NOT SO SURE.

And that's not the only source of smelly stuff. How about that banana peel turning black under the bed along with that half-chewed slice of pizza and your stinky old sneakers collecting dust woozles under there! And why, oh why, do you insist on putting unsightly stickers all over every surface? They don't exactly improve with age either! And there are always, er, improbable/i> things under the covers.

WORST OF ALL--THE TOOTH!

Bed points out that he is always there, doing his duty. Night in, night out, he always there. Could his client perhaps grow up a bit?

NO?

Despite what kids might think, being their beds is not a cushy job, but somebody's got to do it, in Monica Arnaldo's Time for Bed's Story (Kids Can Press, 2020), in this quirky story of unappreciated furniture laying out job complaints from an unexpected point of view. Says School Library Journal, "The character of Bed is endearing in his curmudgeonly demeanor, [with] out-of-the-box thinking.

Down to Sleep! Brownie and Pearl Hit the Hay by Cynthia Rylant

Brownie is reading in her big comfy chair, but her feline pal Pearl is nodding off beside her. It's about time for the two to hit the hay!

But first Brownie takes a warm bath in a bathtub filled with bubbles. Pearl eschews the sudsy tub, settling for giving her paws a good tongue-washing.

Brownie pulls on her soft jammies.

Pearl does not need jammies.

But there is one more thing to do before they head upstairs for Brownie's bedroom--the bedtime snack and story.

Yes, PLEASE!!

The two take a cookie and pick out a book. Pearl picks out her favorite for Brownie to read--Miss Kitty.

Read it again, PLEASE!

And at last it's time to call it a day and curl up and snuggle under Brownie's coverlet with--what else--the moon on it.

Brownie and Pearl are best buddies, but who knew they were also bed buddies? And what could be better for Brownie than snuggling with her all-day buddy, Pearl the cat, in Newbery and Caldecott-winning writer Cynthia Rylant's cozy bedtime beginner book, Brownie and Pearl Hit the Hay (Beach Lane Books). The inseparable duo share their comfy bedtime routines--bath, snack, and bedtime story, read and re-read over and over again. Brian Biggs' cheery illustrations achieve a plenitude of charm without lapsing into into the banal cutesy cliche of some bedtime kitten books. This little book is great for emergent readers to use to hone their skills and store them away in their brains at the best time of day for memory--bedtime.

Goodnight, Critters! Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes

NO!

It's almost bedtime and things are about to get beastly!

The lively toddler is in his pajamas, but he is NOT ready for bed.

Mama takes Bear to bed.

"He's going to be awfully lonely without you," says Mommy.

Growls come from his bed. Snaky sounds hiss from under the sheet. The not-sleepy toddler roars and shakes his mane, until a bedtime book appears. The not-sleepy sounds turn into a yawn as the pages are turned, and the recalcitrant kid curls up with a hug like a koala.

Is he finally down for the count? Nope. He soon shows up in the kitchen looking for an oasis of water and bounds away for the bathroom with the speed of a wildebeest. Finally, he's bedded down once again.

Suddenly, Mommy is tired, too. She's almost down for the count when she hears a whisper:

"CAN I SLEEP WITH YOU?"

The bed is going to be crowded with the toddler and his imaginary menagerie, in the award-winning Nikki Grimes latest story of the all-too-common bedtime resistance routine. But sleep will come for a tired toddler and his creatures at last in Grimes' Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, 2020). And with the humorously colorful critters conjured up by artist Elizabeth Zunon, a good night will be had by all. "A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle." says School Library Journal.

Sleepy-time Musings: Just Because by Mac Barnett.

WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

WHY DO TREES CHANGE COLORS?

WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES? THE MOUTHS OF DINOSAURS?

It's bedtime, that time when kids suddenly remember they have forgotten to do their math, or they have to bring five purple things to school tomorrow, or that they need six photos of their grandparents for the class bulletin board.

Or sometimes, bedtime brings out a heretofore hidden scientific or philosophical thirst for the secrets of the universe.

Our girl is all settled in her bed, puppy, PJs,  and all, but she can't sleep without the answer to some unfortunately complex questions.  Dad, waiting at her bedroom door, insists it's time to go to sleep--which reminds her that she has a burning desire to know why people have to sleep at night.

"BECAUSE," SAYS DAD, "THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN ONLY SEE WHEN OUR EYES ARE CLOSED."

In Mac Barnett's and Isabelle Arsonault's Just Because (Candlewick Press, 2019), some tantalizing stalling questions are posed, but left on the back burner until another day (or bedtime). Done in luminous guache, pencil and watercolors, artist, Isabelle Arsenault provides a slightly retro Fifties' look to her drawings, alternating with lovely, dreamlike  portrayals of the girl's wondrous reveries. Barnett (The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown) offers a comic look at that famous childhood bedtime-delaying tactic, the difficult question... Arsenault’s imaginative power enhances a thin, nevertheless enjoyable, text" says Publishers Weekly.

Mac Barnett's award-winning collaborations with artist Jon Claasen are Triangle (Shape Trilogy), Square (Shape Trilogy), Circle, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards)) This Is Not My Hat,  I Want My Hat Back. and We Found a Hat. (see more books by Mac Barnett reviewed here.)

I've Got This! I'm Brave! I'm Strong! I'm Five! by Cari Best

I've had Mama's stories and Papa's jokes and coffee kisses. It's bedtime now," they said.

But I'm not tired.

It's crunch time. It's dark in her bedroom. Mostly dark.

But this girl has power over the darkness. She's got her flashlight. She makes patterns, putting one hand over the light. She pretends it is a headlight and and lighthouse lantern.

But there are noises! A phone rings somewhere. A piano plays and a baby howls. She investigates out the window and sees what's making the noises inside her neighbors lighted windows. That's just people doing normal stuff. But what about that scary giant eye on the moon. What about the spooky shape she sees (sort of) on her bedroom wall? Should she be afraid! She looks at the moon, but it's the same old moon as always. She switches on her flashlight and sees no ghost, just her tree costume for the class program. But what's that clattery sound? Something big?

I could always call Mama. She'd come in with Papa.

But "No! I'm brave! I'm strong! I'm five!"

With her blanket protecting her and her flashlight lighting up the room, she sees it's just her cat Tuna, who has taken a clumsy leap in the dark at the stack of books on her floor.

Wait! She can read her own bedtime story until she's really sleepy! Wow!

She's five and she's got what it takes to put her own self to sleep, in Cari Best's charming story of bedtime fears overcome, I'm Brave! I'm Strong! I'm Five! (Holiday House, 2019). Being five years old is empowering, and this girl is well on her way. Author Cari Best skillfully builds a soupcon of suspense, step by step, while her plucky heroine takes care of the business of developing independence. Artist Boris Kulikov makes the most of the murky shadows and bright flashlight beams with a masterful use of nighttime colors and crosshatching in his evocative illustrations, and readers know this five-year-old has totally got this bedtime business under control.

Doin' the Sleepytime Shuffle! Sean Awesome: A Mission at Night by Ms. Yellow and Mr. Wide

Mommy has laid down the law to Sean Awesome.

"You are a big boy now. You have to start sleeping in your own bed!

Mom and Dad Awesome have been patient with having a little visitor in their beds for quite a while. But now it's time to end the game of musical beds every night.

But Sean Awesome is having none of the new policy. The truth is that, although he is an awesome boy, he's afraid of being alone in his bed. So he comes up with a clever ploy.

Sean Awesome--Master of Disguise!

He covers himself with a black tablecloth which renders him invisible in the dark. The problem is, he can't see where he's going and bangs right into Mom and Dad's bedroom door. His mission is aborted abruptly.

"NO, SEAN! YOU HAVE TO SLEEP IN YOUR OWN ROOM!"

But Sean Awesome is not dissuaded. He tries disguising himself in his Halloween snake costume, which has one inconvenience--snakes have no arms and therefore no hands to turn a doorknob. He wakes up Mommy, who repatriates him back to his own bed posthaste.  But Sean is not deterred.  He dons a black hat and shades and colors in a sinister mustache. His secret agent disguise can't fail! For a moment he thinks he's found success. Mom's spot in the bed is empty, but before he can slip in, she shows up and deports him back to his room. His caped crusader costume also fails, and Mom flies him back to his bed with breathtaking speed--with what is beginning to be her mantra.

"NO, SEAN!  YOU ... etc., etc., etc....!

It seems Sean's missions are becoming Mission Impossible. Will the Awesome family play revolving beds forever, or will Sean reconfigure his mission to include heroic solo sleeping?

Suffice it to say our hero finally goes where no Sean Awesome has gone before--to sleep in his own bed--in the pseudonymic Ms. Yellow and Mr. Wide's Sean Awesome: A Mission at Night (Simply Read Books, 2018), as the family's midnight rambler outgrows his nighttime bed switches. In this humorous look at a common bedtime bugaboo, little Sean Awesome puts on his astronaut suit and finds that he does indeed have the right stuff for this mission after all. The cut-paper, one-dimensional characters give this story a unique look, and youngsters will giggle at Sean's clever costume switching and perhaps be convinced that staying put at bedtime is A-OK.

Nighttime is Number Time: Bathtime, Mathtime by Danica McKellar

BATHTIME, MATHTIME, 1 2 3.

COUNTING HELPS ME ADD, YOU SEE!

For toddlers, anytime is a teaching time, and bathtub time is a fine time to teach some math skills. Little ones' growing brains soak up learning like, well, sponges, and sleeping on a new skill helps it stay until another day.

ONE FOOT, ANOTHER FOOT!

THAT MAKES TWO!

In her brand-new math book, author Danica McKellar's Bathtime Mathtime (Random House, 2018), works early addition skills into a counting book which makes use of bathtime paraphernalia--three yellow rubber duckies add another to make four, and four bubbles ride the waves with five splashes.

In easy-going rhymes, counting skills become simple addition each time one more is added, and it's all good fun with Alicia Padron's charming illustrations of the bathtime scene, with a cute pup even getting into the action. To this sturdy board book, the book designer adds finger tabs alone the right margin to reinforce the addition skills, as one clean tot counts up sudsy bubbles. For a perfect pair, read this one at bedtime with McKellar's numerical salute to Goodnight Moon, Goodnight, Numbers.

TV actress (Winnie in the Wonder Years) and math advocate Danica McKellar's other books for very young mathematicians are Do Not Open This Math Book: Addition + Subtraction, and Ten Magic Butterflies.