Bedtime Picture Books: 2011

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The runaway hug - Nick Bland, Freya Blackwood

The Runaway Hug is written by Nick Bland and illustrated by Freya Blackwood, two of Australia’s award-winning picture book creators. In the story, Lucy shares the hug with everyone in her family.
Along the way it becomes softer, sleepier, bigger, even peanut-buttery. But when the hug runs away, Lucy discovers that it's not so easy to get it back.

This is a gentle and engaging story with beautiful pencil and water - colour pictures in a muted colour palette which gives the illustrations an appealing softness. This book certainly would leave small readers feeling warm and snuggly and ready for sleep.

Bland, Nick. Blackwood, Freya. The runaway hug, Gosford (NSW) ; Scholastic, 2011.

Reading level : 2-7 years old
Format : Hardcover

Pajama time – Sandra Boynton

Sandra Boynton's illustrations and rhymes make this a fun book to read. She is one of well known children book's author. If you want to know more well about here, here is her website.
The official Sandra Boynton website!
This Stories based on everyday events familiar to even very young children. The story takes place at the end of a long day, with various animals getting ready for bed. Pigs, hippos, cats, and more all get ready for bed and dance around before finally settling down for the night in bed. All hurry to get their pajamas on for the great big Pajama-de-bop.

The book has a pleasant rhyme to it that makes for a great little song. The story is told in Sandra's signature rhyming style. For the illustrations bright bold colors let little readers pay attention on pages. And the last page seems to quiet things down by using smaller and smaller type, implying that the words get quieter, and the use of the words "Hush, hush" and "shhhh". It has been proven as a popular bedtime picture book by many parents and their children.

Boynton, Sandra. Pajama time!, New York : Workman, 2000.

Reading level : 2-7 years old
Format : Board book

Where the wild things are? – Maurice Sendak

This is the classic of all children's books. It is beautifully illustrated and the winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustration. The author Maurice Sendak is described as one of those great children's book creators who could write and draw.

Max is a creative, willful child who gets sent to his room without supper. Angry at his mother, he escapes to a fantastic world full of wild but controllable monsters where he becomes the King of All Wild Things. But after a while he longs to return to where "someone loved him best of all." He finds that, by leaving his supper for him, his mother still loves him. The book nicely balances the child's need for imaginative thinking with a sense of limits, and the pleasures of home.

The illustrations in this book are startling and amazing so help shaping the fantasies of millions of children.

Sendak, Maurice. Where the wild things are, New York : Harper Collins, 1988.

Reading level : 3-7 years old
Format : Hardcover

Night in the country – Cynthia Rylant, Mary Szilagyi

This is an excellent story of a country experience. Especially it is good book for children who are growing up in city like our library’s little readers. It also can be a great find for parents to read to kids to follow up on a visit to a relative in the country.

The author talks about all interesting things one might hear during a night in the country. It quietly describes a dark country night to your child so gently that it takes away the children’s fear of darkness and the creaking noises of an old country house at night! This book is a loving description of life in the country.

This book has a wonderful meter for reading aloud as a bedtime book. This is an excellent portrait of what life really is like in the country: the blackness, the soft sounds and the swooping owl.

Rylant, Cynthia. Szilagyi, Mary. Night in the country, New York : Simon&Schuster, 1991.

Reading level : 3-8 years old
Format : Paperback

Corduroy – Don freeman

Corduroy is classic that has been around for many years. The story is about a stuffed bear in a department store that is not in perfect condition. A little girl walks by him and falls in love with him immediately, but is denied the opportunity to take him home by her mother. Corduroy wants to be loved by someone so he searches and searches for a lost button on his overalls. In the end, the girl came back and bought him and brought him home. They both loved each other so much and she even gave him a new button.

This memorable story will touch children’s hearts. The innocent way this cute bear explores his world is matched by the adorable drawings. The story teaches children the all important life lessons of unconditional love and a true home. Corduroy also inspires imagination for the young reader because of the stuffed animal coming to life throughout the story. Apparently, the artwork of book is wonderful and the story is very touching.

Freeman, Don. Corduroy, New York : Viking Juvenile, 1968.

Reading level : Baby - 7 years old
Format : Hardcover

Snoozers : 7 Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids - Sandra Boynton

Snoozers is a collection of short bed-time stories. It is a story of Snoozers who can sleep anywhere and anytime (except bedtime). The author is Sandra Boynton who is without a doubt a superstar among writers for children's books. Her books are great entertainments for little kids and they tend to fall in her book deeply.

The stories are sweet, rhyme and short. These very brief stories are perfect for children who have problems with attention at bedtime. Because children can choose any story that they like to read in the book.

‘I'm Not Tired’, ‘The Big Yawn’, ‘Pajamas’, ‘Six Sleepy Sheep’ ,‘Night Sounds’, ‘Silly Lullaby’... These short, short, wonderful rhymes are much fun for bedtime reading.

It also is easy for children to turn the pages because it is designed like a file-folder. The pictures are colorful and it's easy to point and label the different animals. It is would be safe also fun choice for bedtime picture book.

Boynton, Sandra. Snoozers : 7 Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids , New York : little Simon, 1997.

Reading level : Baby-7 years old
Format : Boardbook

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It’s time to sleep, my love - Nancy Tillman, Eric Metaxas

Children's writer and illustrator Nancy Tillman has proved already her ability with her previous bestsellers. This time, she has created a comforting bedtime story with gorgeous illustrations of animals preparing for the night. Like all of Tillman's children's books, this book ends with the words, ‘You are loved’.

The artwork is stunning, the story is truly lovable. The animals are accurately depicted, but in dreamland settings. Illustrations are breathtaking and so rich with detail. The story itself is great and very sweet.

However there are some sophisticated language in the story, which might be difficult to understand little toddler. But it’s enough lyrical just for smooth listening time.

Tillman, Nancy. Metaxas, Eric. It’s time to sleep, my love, New York : Feiwel & Friends, 2008.

Reading level : Baby - 7 years old
Format :Hardcover

Tuck me in - Dean Hacohen, Sherry Scharschmidt

All around the world, animals are going to bed. The story is nothing special but the idae of book is special. Every other page is a ‘blanket’ which, when turned pages, readers can tuck the animal in for the night. Children get to ‘tuck in’ a bunch of cute animals by turning the pages, which are die-cut and designed to look like blankets. It is a charming idea and stand out design.

The baby animals and their blankets are friendly and appealing. The pages are sturdy enough that little readers can turn pages without fear of tearing. The book is a good bed-time story, as each animal prepares to go to sleep, and invites kids who would listen to do the same thing. It is just a perfect good-night story for a toddler!

Hacohen, Dean. Scharschmidt, Sherry. Tuck me in, Somerville(MA) : Candlewick, 2010.

Reading level : Baby - 7 years old
Format : Hardcover

A book of sleep - Il Sung Na

This book follows that owl stays up at night, and travels through the quiet evening watching animals snuggled up for the night. Some sleep quietly, some noisily, some sleep standing, while swimming, cuddled together, and some with their eyes wide open.

The story line is gentle but illustrations are wonderfully textured, beautifully colored, and filled with whimsical snoozing animals. It can be sum up as beautifully illustrated book with a simple gentle story.

It is a beautifully illustrated book that is soothing, gentle and fun to read or browse and will be especially appealing to the small child. This extremely engaging book would make an excellent one to read just before bedtime.

Sung Na, Il. A book of sleep, Mascot(NSW) : Koala, 2010.

Reading level : Baby - 5 Years old
Format : Boardbook

The quiet book - Deborah Underwood, Renata Liwska

This fresh title “The quiet book” comes from the collection of ‘all different kinds of quiet’ such as happy quiets, worried quiets, sad quiet, fun quiet, scared quiets, uh-oh quiets and "was I being naughty?" quiets. There are all kinds of special quiet times. It is somehow philosophical.

The animal characters are soft and wonderful and each one from the iguana to the bear that drops his jelly sandwich is sweet and lovable. The illustrations are so sweet, imaginative and beautiful. This quiet also has been well combined with all text, illustration and even book design. The book size is a smaller than normal size picture book, with adorable little animals painted in earthy pastel colors, and a gentle narration of the types of quiet throughout.

It's a perfect book for naptime or bedtime as the story ends with an image of animal friends in peaceful sleep.

Underwood, Deborah. Liwska, Renata. The quiet book, Mascot(NSW) ; Koala, 2011

Reading level : 3 - 8 years old
Format : Hardcover

A bedtime for bear (Bear and Mouse) - Bonny Becker, Kady Macdonald Denton

This is a very funny story about a grumpy bear and his happy little mouse friend. He has never had an overnight guest before. Bear is quite set in his ways, and this extends to his night time routine. Then mouse visit for sleepover. Both are pretty different for bedtime habit. After all, they pass through tough time, they fall in sleep together. T

he story is simple and reassuring. The illustrations are muted blues and earthy tone watercolors with lots of details and all the illustrations are extremely enjoyable to look at. Lovely artwork perfectly complements the comfortable and reassuring story.

Children also would enjoy Bear and Mouse, who are great characters with distinct personalities and more dynamics than many common storybook shows.

Becker, Bonny. Denton, Kady Macdonald. A bedtime for bear (Bear and Mouse), Somerville(MA) : Candlewick, 2010.

Reading level : 3 - 7 Years old
Format : Hardcover

Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd

This book is one of those ‘classic’ bedtime storybook. It has been around and in print for over 60 years. As considering the currency, it should be taken off from the list for this blog.

But Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is a certified classic in many ways, so I decided to include it in. rabbit goes to bed and says goodnight to all the objects he sees in his room (mittens, mouse, clock etc.), and outside his window moon. This charming story of a young rabbit's bedtime ritual invokes the kind of cozy quietness that calls the peaceful dreams.

Soothing words and illustrations make "Goodnight Moon" a very good picture book to read with children at bedtime. It is a good book to read to get a small child to go to sleep.

Brown, Margaret Wise. Hurd, Clement. Goodnight Moon, London : Macmillan, 2010.

Reading level : Baby - 6 years old
Format : Boardbook

Kiss Good Night - Amy Hest, Anita Jeram

The story is simple and tone is gentle. Sam's mother is putting Sam to bed, but when she asks Sam if he is ready, he replies no. Mrs. Bear quietly tries several different activities to prepare Sam for bed. With the wind howling outside, she gently tucks him in.

As the rain begins to fall on the roof, she arranges all of Sam's stuffed toys around him. Finally, they both drink glasses of warm milk. But Sam still is not ready for bed. Mrs. Bear reviews everything they have done and realizes that she has forgotten to kiss Sam good night. After lots of kisses, despite the bad storm outside, Sam goes happily to sleep.

The use of repetition and a great many ‘and’ connectors is appropriate to the language development of the 3- 6 years-old age group. Children can also feel safe and loved through this gentle story. The style of dark night outside is another distinctive point in the book.

Hest, Amy. Jeram, Anita. Kiss good night, Somerville(MA) : Candlewick, 2006.

Reading level : Baby - 6 years old
Format : boardbook

Little hoot - Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Jen Corace

A little owl likes to go to bed at a decent hour. Staying up late is an absolute no option for him. But his parents want to instill in him ‘good owl values’. They try keeping him up well past the time he wants to hit the bed. Because they are owl who must stay up late!

These witty ideas come along with whole storyline and make people laugh aloud. It is an unusual fun for all those little ‘night owls’ and their parents. The Illustrations are minimalistic ink and water color painting rather than just simple one.

It gives unique beauty to this children’s book. Over all, writing is sweet and the pictures that go along with it are adorable.

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Corace, Jen. Little hoot, San Francisco : Chronicle, 2008.

Reading level : 3 - 8 years old
Format : Hardcover

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball - Vicki Churchill, Charles Fuge

It is an adorable story about a young, playful wombat. He likes to race and make funny faces. (This funny face of wombat is hilarious part of this book). But when the day ends and the sun fall down, he goes back home to his mother and curls up and goes to sleep.
It is a comfortable story of independent play and the importance of home and family.

The pictures are very nice as well. Meticulous illustrations encourage discovery and attention to detail.

Characters are Australian animals that are indigenous to Australia, showing the diversity in nature. This book is certainly a sweet-spirited bedtime story to ease young ones to sleep.

Churchill, Vicki. Fuge, Charles. Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball, London : Pinwhell, 2006.

Reading level : Baby - 7 Years old
Format : Boardbook

Russell the Sheep - Rob scotton

This book is one of Russell series book. Poor sheep Russell has a trouble to sleep. He does everything he can to fall asleep. He wears a hat to keep his head warm, puts the hat over his eyes to make it darker, he tries ear plugs, he moves to a different spot, counts stars and so on.

At last, sheep Russell counts sheep to sleep in including himself. This works so finally Russell can sleep while others are ready for a day.
It is funny story to make children giggle. The illustrations describe night time’s blue whimsically and it is beautiful to look through.

Scotton, Rob. Russell the sheep, New York : HarperFestival, 2007.

Reading level : 3- 7 years old
Format : Boardbook

The Going-To-Bed Book - Sandra Boynton

The writer Sandra Boynton has written and illustrated over 30 children’s books and this book is popular choice for bedtime. The story follows the animals'(such as hippo and dog etc.) bed time routine.

This book is about several different animals in different shapes and sizes getting ready for bed on a boat. They brush their teeth, exercise (They do exercise under the light of moon. This adorable description would certainly attract children’s innocent mind) and put on pajamas.

The text has simple rhymes to read, which make children follow easily. It should be no mistake to be considered as ‘classic’ bedtime story book.

Boynton, Sandra. The going to bed book, New York : Little Simon, 1982.

Reading level : Baby - 7 years old
Format : Boardbook

Goodnight, Little Monster - Helen Ketteman, Bonnie Leick

‘Goodnight Little Monster’ is one of well-chosen bedtime book for parents. Here are some clear reasons for it.
First, the story has a lot of fun details along with child and mother monster. They go through their bedtime routine such as bath, spider pajamas, stories and snacks (Little monster eats worm juice and baked beetle bread before going to bed). It is easy to get attached to story by these details for children.
Second, there is a point that attracts children. Even monster is get sacred of darkness and getting into sleep! It is one of best bedtime book for children who get scared of getting into sleep. Illustration is very adorable to just pass through.

Ketteman, Helen. Leick, Bonnie. Goodnight, little monster, New York : Marshall Cavendish, 2010.

Reading level : 3 - 7 years old
Format : Hardcover

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? - Jane Yolen, Mark Teague

As we all know, children tend to fascinate by dinosaur. So this book satisfies to catch its reader’s attention at once. The book uses questions during the first part of the book to tell the story.

One of beauty thing of this book is this: dinosaurs as doing the things that many kids do when they go to bed such as throwing their teddy bears around, running around bed etc. In the end, dinosaurs come to be sweet ones as they go to bed. They turn off light, give a big hug and tuck in their tails! It is good for a child who doesn't want to go to bed, as he hears about appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior at bedtime in a fun way.

Each page is filled with wonderful detail and humor, children and their parents will love the expressions and behavior of the eleven different dinosaurs.

Yolen, Jane. Teague, Mark. How do dinosaurs say good night, Heartherton(Vic) : Hinkler, 2007.

Reading level : Baby - 7years old
Format : Boardbook

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Time for bed - Mem Fox, Jane Dyer

This book has been one of favourite bed time book for parents. Well known children’s book writer Mem fox creates warmth and bond of mom (or dad) and their babies. It contains watercolour illustrations on each spread two pages.

The picture book shows intimate cuddling time of all kinds of animals (mouse, goose, cat, calf, foal, fish, sheep, bird, bee, snake and deer) through combination of rhythmical text and beautiful illustrations.

Simple warm story is perfect for bedtime selection. In addition that, introduction on animals encourage children learn more about.

Fox, Mem. Dyer, Jane. Time for bed, Gosford (NSW) : Scholastic, 1993.