105 Ways to Give a Book

Thursday Three: Bedtime

Some standout bedtime books that passed through my hands at the library:

Sleep Like a Tiger
by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Houghton Miffin 2012
Sleep Like a TigerAs a little girl insists she is not tired, her patient parents tell her about how different animals that are going to sleep until the child takes their cues and joins them. The lyrical language portrays a bedtime “in a cocoon of sheets, a nest of blankets” while the magical illustrations are a dreamlike world in themselves. Well-deserving of its Caldecott honor win, this is a simply gorgeous book. (By the way, check out the sketches featured at the Amazon page.)

No Go Sleep!
by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Jules Feiffer

Simon & Schuster 2012
No Go Sleep!“One night when the stars were out and the moon was bright, a baby said, “No go sleep!” The mom and dad try to convince the infant to get to sleep, but so do the sun, the bunnies, and even the front door who make sure baby knows that they are there to help with sleep or be ready in the morning. Even with all this support, there is still one last defiant NO! as baby drifts off. This father/daughter team is a perfect pair in showing family life with warmth and humor. Fun bedtime story that parents will really relate to.


Moonlight
by Helen Griffith, illustrations Laura Dronzek

Greenwillow Books 2012
Moonlight Simple text with a poetic feel is doled out phrase by phrase and is accompanied by sweet pictures of sleeping creatures – deer, birds, and of course, the bunny. “Moonlight slides like butter/ skims through outer space/ skids past star and comets/ leaves a butter trace." Acrylic paints give depth to the color in a twilights palette while the gentle illustrations make for an adorable bunny. I'd love to see this as a boardbook for the youngest readers. (Right now you can get it at a bargain price at Amazon.)

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