Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. Not quite everybody is asleep in this beguiling book. The teacher is sleeping. / School's done for the day. / The librarian is sleeping. / Books put away. Each turn of the page displays a community helper asleep at the workplace in a themed bedstead. The fireman sleeps atop a fire engine; the grocer snoozes below a billowing lettuce headboard. Although the rhythm is less precise than the rhyme, the text satisfyingly moves along while the artwork soars. Amusing, affectionate scenes will show up beautifully from a distance (think community helper units) and work equally well for bedtime reading. Glowing with warm colors in subdued hues, the sturdy pictures stretch wide across double-page spreads, offering surprisingly energetic, varied compositions, considering that nearly every scene features a sleeping person. On the dedication page, an evening townscape gives children a chance to point out notable buildings that house the sleepers: the grocery store, the bakery, the police department, and more. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Parkins (Jeepers Creepers) makes imaginative work of Markes's (Thanks for Thanksgiving) minimal text. Not until the final spread do readers discover that a mother is making the case for bedtime to her young son, explaining that everyone's tucked into bed. "The teacher is sleeping./ School's done for the day," the book opens. Parkins has a field day picturing her sleeping right in her classroom, among the desks and crafts supplies; the librarian falls asleep reading, naturally, surrounded by bookshelves; and the grocer rests comfortably alongside his produce on-what else?-a bed of lettuce. Youngsters also will get a kick out of the plush friends resting next to the characters: a raccoon garbed in prison stripes for the policeman (they slumber under a "Wake/Don't Wake" sign) and an eagle for the president of the United States (whose identity is artfully concealed by star-spangled bedclothes). Parkins's cushy, rounded shapes, sly comic details and a palette that suits each sleeper's vocation make each spread as inviting as a down comforter on a cold winter night. It's easy to see why the boy in the book's final vignette goes to sleep without an argument; all the people who precede him look so content that they may convince even the most accomplished bedtime procrastinator to join them. Ages 3-6. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Although this well-conceived book is based on a simple premise, its execution is wonderfully expansive and enticing. On each spread, rhythmic verses introduce a community helper who is sound asleep, followed by a phrase reassuring readers that this person's responsibilities have been taken care of for the day. "The doctor is sleeping. Everyone feels well./The grocer is sleeping./Food's ready to sell." At story's end, a mother tucks in her baby. While the text is clear and purposeful, it's the art that allows the book to soar. There's a largess to the bright, dynamic paintings that's comforting. Peaceful smiles grace everyone's faces as they nestle deep within their plush beds. The individuals are seen snoozing in the midst of their workplace; the librarian's bed is set up among shelves of books and the fireman dozes in the back of his truck. This is a fun idea, in perfect sync with a child's perspective. Plus, each person cuddles with a special stuffed animal, the teacher with her spectacled owl and the policeman with a raccoon dressed in striped jail fatigues. This book will get youngsters thinking, not just about the inevitability of bedtime but also about how we are all so intimately connected to our communities.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
To lull a child to sleep, this enjoyable rhyme lists all the people--librarian, postman, fireman--who are already in their beds. ""The doctor is sleeping. Everyone feels well. / The grocer is sleeping. / Food+s ready to sell."" In the cleverly conceived illustrations, each of the community figures rests cozily in a job-related bed, with an appropriate stuffed animal. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This is a wonderful new story in the bedtime tradition. Now the day is done and everyone (except the reader) has gone to sleep. Each page visits a slumbering person in their perfect occupational background. "The librarian is sleeping. Books put away." Her bed is a large book softened by billowy blankets and pillows and her teddy is still wearing his spectacles, which match hers. Even her lamp is a book. The fireman's bed is bright red and complete with a bell, firehose, and a plush spotted dog. The snoozing policeman is still directing the cars that slide over his highway-decorated quilt. There's even a gardener nestled among his flowers with a blanket of grass. The snoozers are smiling serenely as if their dreams are divine. The story concludes with a final sweet message that will lull any tiny one into a safe and snuggly sleep. In taffy-bright pastels, the magnificent illustrations offer imaginative details that cannot fail to amuse and soothe readers. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
