Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In an inventive ploy to avoid another "boring" night sleeping, a child named Stella and her blue stuffed hippo, Roger, endeavor to keep the sun up. Donning "supersize sunglasses" and "plenty of sunscreen," the Black protagonist tries multiple tactics on the day star, including confusion (doing extra-long morning yoga so the sun doesn't know the time, eating cereal midday) and stimulation (banging on a drum, shining flashlights, attempting to deliver coffee), all while the sun looks on in Gaines's airbrush-style digital scenes. As the day closes, the young narrator despairs until realizing that if the sun doesn't set, then Stella's long-distance best friend, portrayed with pale skin and black hair, won't be able to rise on the other side of the world--an epiphany that provides a well-timed reason to embrace nighttime rituals, and adult readers with a fresh reason for arguing in favor of a good night's rest. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Stella, a small Black girl who is joyful and industrious every day, blames buzzkill bedtime on the sun. To keep the sun awake so she can continue to play, she shines a flashlight up into the sky and makes a lot of noise. She does her morning yoga routine at night to confuse the sun about the time; to keep the sun busy, she invites it to an evening party. To fool the sun into thinking it's still morning, breakfast cereal is eaten for supper and coffee is delivered up to the sky using a trampoline and a very long straw. Rocky, Stella's stuffed hippo, acts as a stand-in for her best friend Kamrynn who recently moved to the opposite side of the world. With the knowledge that Kamrynn needs the daily cycle of sunshine or she'll be "stuck in bed for a hundred years," Stella allows herself to be tucked in. VERDICT This bedtime story would be useful for reluctant sleepers or to introduce children to the concept of time zones.--Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake P. L., Alta.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Stella hates going to bed, so she and her best buddy attempt to prevent the sun from setting. Imaginative Stella, a young Black girl with Afro puffs, misses her friend Kamrynn, a light-skinned, straight-haired girl who has moved to "the other side of the world." Luckily, Stella still has her best pal Roger, a blue hippo stuffie. Neither Stella nor Roger like sleeping: "Why do we have to miss all the fun and go to bed just because it gets dark?" Deciding that "if it never gets dark, then we can stay awake forever," the duo work tirelessly to "keep the sun awake." They play loud music, shine flashlights at the sun, and even make various attempts to launch a cup of coffee up to the celestial orb in hopes that caffeine will keep it alert. Eventually, the pair quit when they realize that if the sun never sets for them, morning can never come for Kamrynn, who wakes up when they go to bed. Despite the book's sweet touches, the narrative is weakened by some meandering irrelevancies that make the plot feel disconnected. Also, at the beginning of the story, Stella seems enamored of the moon--she wishes she could jump high enough to kiss it--yet she and Roger spend the bulk of the book trying to prevent nightfall; this discrepancy may give some readers pause. The digital, cartoonlike illustrations are bright, colorful, and cheerful but don't make up for the shaky plotting. An interesting premise but the execution is underwhelming. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
