One night when the stars were out and the moon was bright, a baby said, "No go sleep!"
And the baby's mommy said, "It's time for you to close your eyes and think sweet thoughts."
And the baby's daddy said, "Put your head down and fall fast asleep."
This one has a good premise, a familiar premise, true, but a good one. The family that stars in Kate Feiffer's No Go Sleep! has a baby that refuses to go to sleep.
If you're expecting the baby to say "No Go Sleep!" in response, to keep up the fight, the battle, then you may be disappointed (like I was) with the direction this one goes next. For instead of this being a family-focused bedtime battle (or fit), this one goes to nature....yes, nature.
For don't you know that the sun, the moon, the stars, a passing car, some birds, some frogs, some bunnies, some sheep, a front door, a goldfish, some shoes, a doll, a teddy bear, a tree, and an owl have a role to play in getting the stubborn baby down to sleep?! Each has something to say, even if it is only tweet, tweet or beep, beep, beep, etc.
I found the book to be very strange, very odd. Perhaps if it had only been personifications of nature, of the animal kingdom, talking then it might be okay. Not necessarily for me--but still okay. But to have shoes and a front door, etc.?! Well, it's just too weird for me.
The focus of this one seemed to be on EVERYTHING BUT THE BABY. Which I found odd...
Read No Go Sleep
- If you're a fan of bedtime books
- If you like an odd twist or two to your bedtime reading with your little one
- If you're a fan of Kate Feiffer
I am bored!
Too jolly, too jumpy,
Too diggy, too dumpy!
Too piecy, too blinky,
Too bangy, too plinky.
Jean Reidy is back with another in her series. The first, Too Purpley, was about a little girl who had NOTHING to wear. She was just not happy with ANYTHING in her closet. The second book, Too Pickley, was about a little boy who was a very, very, very picky eater. The third book, Too Princessy!, is about a little girl who is so very, very bored that she just can't find anything to do. Even though she is surrounded by toys. No, nothing is satisfying her today. This one has a fun but slightly predictable twist to it. (Can you guess what she ends up playing with?)
Read Too Princessy!
- If you're a fan of Jean Reidy, if you're a fan of this series
- If you have a drama queen of your own to share it with
Come one, come all to the animal masquerade. Disguises are a must!
The lion didn't know how he should disguise himself...as a cat? as a chicken? as a toad? As...
An Elephant!
The elephant went disguised as...
A parrot.
The parrot went disguised as...
A turtle.
The turtle went disguised as...
Little Red Riding Hood.
Little Red Riding Hood went disguised as...
A chocolate cake.
Uh-oh! The bear has quite a sweet tooth.
Be careful, Little Red Riding Hood!
But the bear was much too slow.
He was a real slowpoke.
So the bear went disguised as...
A snail.
The snail went disguised as...
A tiger.
The tiger went disguised as...
If you're looking for an incredibly silly book, give Animal Masquerade by Marianne Dubuc a try. I think this one has potential, but that potential isn't without risk. It will be hit or miss. Readers will either find the book incredibly funny--causing smiles and giggles--or they won't. (My personal favorite is the porcupine who went disguised as a wiener dog.) If the book was bigger, it might be fun to read aloud to a group. But since it's so small, it would probably be best for sharing with just one child at a time. (Even kids who don't read might find the pictures amusing enough on their own.)
Read Animal Masquerade
- If you are looking for picture books translated into English; This one was Au carnaval des animaux.
- If you like silly animal books
Gruntly was a ball hog. Not only did he refuse to share his toys with Hampshire and Berkshire, but he helped himself to theirs. Gruntly grabbed Yorky's shoes even though he already had far more shoes than feet. And it got worse. Gruntly constantly snuck up on Woolworth and Cluck to gather more fluff and feathers so he would have the poofiest pillows. If there was a something, he wanted it all. All for himself.
When possible, always give picture books a second read. Sometimes what doesn't impress the first time through grows on you by the second. Not always. But in the case of All for Me And None for All, I am very glad I decided to give it another try. Gruntly is NOT fun to be around. He is greedy and selfish and oh-so-obnoxious. Can he be taught a lesson?
All for Me and None for All is a message book. No doubt about it, this one is all about teaching Gruntly (and presumably the audience) a lesson in manners, in how to behave. Don't be selfish. Don't take more than your fair share. Don't take it all. Share.
Read All for Me and None for All
- If you like picture books with a message or lesson
- If you like picture books about pigs (and who doesn't?)
© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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