Review by Booklist Review
On the African veld, where the sun is setting, the mothers tell their children that it's time for bed. But Lila waits for her father to come home with his fishing haul. Once she sees him, she might be ready for sleep, though she has so many good nights to say. First to the fish, which her father caught (a bit odd, since the fish, of course, is dead), then to a variety of animals that roam the village: the cat, the goat, the chickens, and the ants. And, for good measure, a rock. Finally, it is time to settle down, but the child needs to say good night to her book. The last page shows Lila with that book, one familiar to readers a world away, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon. The story itself is rather thin, albeit with a surprise ending, but the African setting is harmoniously rendered in oils and ink, and, as night falls, the scenes become even richer. Lila, her hair in twisty braids, dressed in a simple shift, is a sweet yet spunky heroine who captures the universal defiance of children at bedtime.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Isadora (I Hear a Pickle) revisits the rural African setting of some of her fairy tale retellings in a story spotlighting the age-old phenomenon of bedtime stalling. Despite her parents' directives to come indoors, a girl named Lala-pictured with deep brown skin, spiky braids, and a cream-colored shift dress-insists that she needs to say good night to every animal in sight. "I just want to say good night to the cat," she says, before moving on to a nearby goat, bird, monkey, dog, chickens, and (as her options dwindle) a trail of ants and a rock. The repetition gives the story a predictable, lilting cadence that invites children to echo Lala's good night wishes. Eventually, she climbs into bed with a copy of Goodnight Moon and bids the moon good night; oddly, she ignores the baby sibling asleep beside her bed. Through the setting is never described more specifically than the "African veld," Isadora's dramatic oil-and-ink artwork offers tender portraits of Lala gently interacting with each animal against a darkening landscape as the sun descends, the moon rises, and shadows emerge. Ages 3-5. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--In a village on the African plains, it is time for Lala to go to bed. However, the young girl begs her parents for extension after extension, using the excuse contained in the book's title. In a series of bright, expressive spreads, she dutifully bids goodnight to the fish, the cat, the bird, the goat, the monkey, the chickens, the ants, and even a rock. The ritual complete, Lala is finally ready for bedtime. But wait! One more item beckons: a book, which eagle-eyed readers will recognize as the beloved classic Goodnight Moon--a clear influence on the gentle narrative. VERDICT Parents and children may find their own protracted bedtime negotiations lovingly reflected in this worthy title.
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Review by Horn Book Review
There are some behaviors that span the globe, as we see in this light tale of a little girl, Lala, who is supposed to go to bed but is having none of it. Lala and her family live in the otherwise unspecified African veld, whose inhabitants provide Lala with numerous stalling opportunities. I just want to say good night to the goatI just want to say good night to the little antsIm just not ready to go to sleep, Lala confides to her pet dog. Thats the extent of this books preschool-perfect conflict, and the text could not be simpler, giving to Isadoras illustrations, oil paint and ink, all the drama of sunset on the African plains. The ever-deepening blue of the sky is the backdrop to a rich display of plants and animals, all naturally but boldly hued and anchored by the human forms of Lala and her family and their fellow villagers. A twist at the end--Lala, finally in bed, saying goodnight to the moon while holding a copy of Goodnight Moon in her hands--is a good gentle joke in its own right but also serves to reinforce the universality of the situation. roger sutton (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
