Bedtime for Sweet Creatures

Starred review from September 23, 2019
“No! No! No!” begins Grimes’s rhythmic, playful romp through a restless child’s bedtime routine. As the toddler resists sleep, a mother patiently creates an imaginary menagerie via vivid similes—“Your eyes swell, wide as owls... You coil beneath the quilt, silent as a snake”—transforming a bedroom into a forest full of friendly creatures. Zunon’s expressive, heavily textured collage is interspersed with abstract animals (evocative of Senufo textile art), clearly delineating imagined from real. Despite the mother’s best efforts at trumpeting away any monsters and checking under the bed before reading the child a story, the child appears at the parents’ bedside in the late night hours, pleading, “Mommy, can I sleep with you?” As she opens the covers for the tot to join, the parade of gentle beasts joins, helping to lull the now “very sleepy child” into slumber—and turning the visually pleasing adventure into a loving, effective lullaby. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from December 1, 2019

PreS-K-In this exceptionally well-done title, readers follow a young child on a before-bed adventure. The book opens with a toddler shouting "No! No! No!" It continues, "You beat the word like a drum the minute I say, 'Come, sweet creature. It's bedtime.'" The gorgeous illustrations are from the child's perspective. For example, when the child answers their mother, the lyrical text says their eyes get big as an owl's. On the opposite page and part of the adjacent page are three large yellow-and-orange owls. Other items encountered on this bedtime routine are a large green, blue, and yellow bear; a forest scene; a snake; a giant pink-and-orange lion in bed; a blue-and-green fawn; a green-and-pink squirrel; and more. The words and the art are perfectly matched: when getting tucked in, the child, who is beside the large imaginary colorful lion, tells her mom to check underneath the bed for something vicious. Mom says, "I kneel on the forest floor, find something wild and ferocious." Underneath the bed is a small gray-and-white kitty. The text reads, "Meow." The illustrations and execution of this title give it a fresh approach to a subject that resonates with families raising small children. VERDICT Highly recommended for public and school libraries. The creative illustrations will appeal to parents who struggle with keeping children in bed at night. This is also an excellent choice for a bedtime storytime or other programs.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2019
A patient mother with a healthy sense of whimsy helps prepare her headstrong toddler for bed. The story opens with a toddler, fists raised into the air, proclaiming, "No! No! No!" Thank goodness this not-at-the-moment-sweet creature's mother is patient and creative as she corrals her child into a bedtime routine that may feel familiar to many readers. The words and behaviors of the child evading bed are translated into animal sounds and behaviors: wide-eyed and asking "Who? Who?" like an owl; shaking hair and roaring like a lion; hanging on for a hug like a koala. And, of course, the requisite leaving bed for a last trip to the bathroom and drink, like a human child. Zunon's art takes this book to the next level: Her portrayals of the animals mentioned in the text are colorful and full of intriguing patterns and shapes. Additionally, the expressions on the faces of the mother, child, and animals speak volumes, portraying the emotions of each. Arguably, the sweetest part of the story comes at the end, when the child asks to sleep with Mommy and Dad. Though the mother sighs, the child climbs in, along with "owl, bear, snake, kitty, fawn, squirrel, koala, tiger, wolf." (Readers attuned to details will notice the father's look of delight at the parade of animals.) All characters are black. An adventurous treat of a bedtime story. (Picture book. 2-5)

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Starred review from November 15, 2019
Preschool-K *Starred Review* Grimes and Zunon have created an adorable and imaginative bedtime story to add to collections for young children. Narrated by the mother of curly-headed child in red, footed pajamas, the familiar saga of getting an unwilling child into bed unfolds. As the petite main character tries to avoid going to sleep, Mom endeavors to turn bedtime into a fun activity. The house becomes a wilderness, with the child roaring like a lion in protest and loping, antelope-like, down the hall, as Mom kneels on the forest floor (green carpet) to check for monsters under the bed. Koala hugs and a fox-sly dash for one last drink of water also make appearances. Packed with phrases children will know, such as No! I love you, I'm not sleepy, and Once upon a time, young readers or listeners will recognize themselves in this accessible book's pages. Zunon uses various styles and materials in collaged spreads that boast bold colors, a menagerie of animals, and traditional African patterns to convey the story's childlike spirit of adventure. The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2020
Grimes puts an animal-centric spin on a youngster's innovations for bedtime stalling. This lushly illustrated story, on double-page spreads full of bold, saturated color, opens with an African American child's firm attestation: "No! No! No!" It's bedtime, and this young person wants no part of it. The narrator, the child's mother, speaks in an immediate second-person voice. "In the forest of your room, you cling to Bear. I turn back the sheets, and you GROWL. 'In you both go,' I say." In response to each of Mommy's directives, the child's defiance conjures a colorful creature, adorned with geometric patterns. In most cases, the imagined animal is larger than the protagonist, emphasizing just how strong bedtime resistance can be. The child freezes in place like Fawn, hangs onto Mommy's neck like Koala, crouches and pounces like Tiger, and hops like Antelope, all of which contribute to the difficulties of winding down for sleep. Zunon mixes realistic portrayals of the human characters with more stylized depictions of the animals to highlight the role the child's imagination is playing. The gender-unspecified protagonist, wearing a footed red onesie with a back flap, helps all young listeners see themselves in these scenarios. A clever bedtime tale for stubborn, active, twenty-first-century kids.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2020
Grimes puts an animal-centric spin on a youngster's innovations for bedtime stalling. This lushly illustrated story, on double-page spreads full of bold, saturated color, opens with an African American child's firm attestation: "No! No! No!" It's bedtime, and this young person wants no part of it. The narrator, the child's mother, speaks in an immediate second-person voice. "In the forest of your room, you cling to Bear. I turn back the sheets, and you GROWL. �??In you both go, ' I say." In response to each of Mommy's directives, the child's defiance conjures a colorful creature, adorned with geometric patterns. In most cases, the imagined animal is larger than the protagonist, emphasizing just how strong bedtime resistance can be. The child freezes in place like Fawn, hangs onto Mommy's neck like Koala, crouches and pounces like Tiger, and hops like Antelope, all of which contribute to the difficulties of winding down for sleep. Zunon mixes realistic portrayals of the human characters with more stylized depictions of the animals, to highlight the role the child's imagination is playing. The gender-unspecified protagonist, wearing a footed red onesie with a back flap, helps all young listeners see themselves in these scenarios. A clever bedtime tale for stubborn, active, twenty-first-century kids. Michelle H. Martin

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)