Review by New York Times Review
SHHH! I'M SLEEPING Written and Illustrated by Dorothée de Monfreid. 132 pp. Gecko. $12.99. (Board book; ages 2 to 5) Eight dogs in a pair of quadruple-level bunk beds make for a raucous bedtime shuffle in this clever, delightfully illustrated oversize comics-style board book. A giant hound named Popov is snoring, which wakes the others, one by one. There's a request for a drink of water and some toy-borrowing and bed-swapping before everyone ends up in Misha's top bunk. He reads a story that puts them to sleep. All but the snorer, who wakes with the sun, wondering where everyone is. BLANCHE HATES THE NIGHT Written and illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix. Translated by Christelle Morelli. 24 pp. OwlKids. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) It's not that Blanche doesn't want to go to sleep. The problem is night itself: so gray, and "such a pain!" The worst part is you can't even play. Trying to chase away the moon, she bangs a drum and bursts into song, ignoring her mother's calls from the doorway. Soon her bed is a trampoline. With adorable, shadowy drawings, Delacroix ("Prickly Jenny") offers a refreshing c'est la vie take on bedtime conflict. The mom stays offstage; when Blanche finally conks out it's from sheer exhaustion. ROCK-A-BYE ROMP By Linda Ashman. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. 32 pp. Nancy Paulsen. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) "Sweet little Baby, rocking with me- / Who'd put a cradle high in a tree?" The dark heart of "Rockabye Baby" inspires Ashman's rhyming bedtime tale, which turns the scary nursery classic into a dreamy, surreal journey for a lucky baby. Mulazzani's painterly illustrations create a magical mood, with creamy colors, soft patterns and a rosy-cheeked baby looking blissed out by the trip. A hawk brings the child home to a smiling mom and a bedroom with a cradle and a groovy mural. GOODNIGHT OWL Written and Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. 48 pp. Disney-Hyperion. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) Things don't go as planned in the stylish midcentury-modern-looking picture books by Pizzoli ("The Watermelon Seed," "Number One Sam"). But his creatures know how to triumph over neurotic disappointment, and Owl is no exception. That "tiny sound" keeping him awake? He's determined to find it, emptying cupboards, pulling up floorboards - even, in a gloriously mad gesture, taking the very roof and walls off his house. It was just a mouse, but it's nice to sleep under the stars. HOW TO PUT YOUR PARENTS TO BED By Mylisa Larsen. Illustrated by Babette Cole. 32 pp. Katherine Tegen. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Watch out, parents! This hilarious book is onto you, with your hypocritical preaching about how important it is to go to bed. A demonic-looking cat narrates, telling the child listener to "take charge" and get those grown-ups to sleep already. Ignore excuses like "Just one more email," the cat advises, and "keep them moving toward the bedroom." Cole's frisky illustrations bust the lid right off the secret chaos of modern family life. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [February 7, 2016]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
If the Marx Brothers had been eight dogs instead of five men, they might've put together a skit like the one featured in this droll story from de Monfried (The Cake). Two four-story bunk beds flank each spread, with a dog in each bed; Popov is snoring up a storm, so Nono climbs into Misha's bed for a story, waking the other dogs, who trade toys and glasses of water before all ending up piled up in a single bed together. The dogs' prickly personalities, de Monfried's enthusiastic cartooning, and an innately goofy premise deliver laughs with every page turn. Ages 2-5. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Kids and parents alike will relate to this humorous family story. Eight dogs in two tall bunk beds are sound asleep when Nono is awakened by another dog's snoring. Unable to fall asleep, he asks to climb up to Misha's bunk for a story, and their conversation wakes Pedro. As the story continues, the other dogs awake one by one. Each cartoon spread shows the same bedroom scene with a window in the center and a four-person bunk bed on each side. The ink and watercolor illustrations bring amusing detail to the story, and children will enjoy watching the characters move through the static background as the tale progresses. The narrative is delivered entirely through speech bubbles. As each character awakens, the light above his bed flips on, drawing readers' attention. VERDICT A sweet and satisfying bedtime story.-Kimberly Tolson, Medfield Public Library, MA © Copyright 2016. 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.
