bedtime – Page 3 – Mom Read It

Family Storytimes, picture books, Preschool Reads, programs, Storytime, Toddler Reads, Toddler Storytime

Margaret Wise Brown storytime: The Diggers, Count to 10 with a Mouse, Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Last week, I decided to test drive three Margaret Wise Brown re-released books in my toddler storytime. Most of my kiddos and families know Ms. Brown as the “Goodnight Moon Lady”, or “The Runaway Bunny lady”, so I thought it would be fun to give them more choices when they’re looking for something to read. It went over pretty well. Before I get into that, though, I thought some background on these three books would be interesting – I know I found it fascinating.

In 1990, author Amy Gary discovered a trunk of unpublished manuscripts and songs in the attic of Margaret Wise Brown’s sister’s barn. These manuscripts provided the source material for many of the titles in a new line of classics by the beloved author. While I’d seen Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears pretty recently – Kohl’s had the book and a companion teddy bear as one of their Kohl’s Cares book/plush sets about a year or two ago, and my mom picked up a book and teddy for my little guy – The Diggers and Count to 10 With a Mouse are new to me.

The Diggers, by Margaret Wise Brown/Illustrated by Antoine Corbineau, (March 2019, Silver Dolphin Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684127429

Ages 3-7

Moles dig holes. So do dogs. Worms, rabbits, mice, and pirates all dig holes, too! Animals and people alike dig holes for different reasons, and The Diggers tells their stories. The kids loved the whole process of digging a hole for a subway system, and I favored the digger machine digging up “stones, and find dinosaur bones, and cavemen’s homes, and buried gnomes”. This is just an fun, rhyming story that has so much detail to enjoy: buried dinosaur bones and pottery; worm homes that curve to meet their owner’s bodies; a train running along the horizon as it goes down its track, a pirate’s trail of thievery. The kids really enjoyed this one, and so did I. Artist Antoine Corbineau (whose website features much of the artwork from The Diggers, and from where I sampled the interior art) makes bright, bold artwork with loads of things for kids to find. The black and grey-purple endpapers show a cityscape in progress, with pathways all dug out. This is an adorable choice for a construction or transportation storytime; two choices that always go over well with my storytime groups.

The verse is Margaret Wise Brown – you can’t go wrong. The repeated phrase, “Dig Dig Dig” allows kids to jump right in and interact with you during a reading, and there are so many chances to ask them questions: identify the animals, where do they live/what do they eat; what predictions can they make about what’s going to happen next?

Consider an author study with your school-age kids, to really expose them to Margaret Wise Brown’s body of work; The Diggers is such an active book compared to Runaway Bunny and Goodnight, Moon; it will give the kids so much to think about and discuss.

Count to 10 With a Mouse, by Margaret Wise Brown/Illustrated by Kirsten Richards, (March 2019, Silver Dolphin Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684127412

Ages 2-5

This book is a hit! I love a counting book that has a fun story to go along with it, and Count to 10 With a Mouse fits the bill perfectly! The endpapers are covered in mouse paw prints, and there are two holes, one of which has the cutest little mouse peeking out of it! This counting story has everything: rhyme, repetition, and concepts (counting). A little mouse lives in a hole, and teaches himself to count by looking at the things around him: one mouse, two holes, three fish; all things he discovers as he crawls through the holes to the next pages. The rhyme and repetition are sweet, and filled with discovery: Each page, each discovery, starts off with the repeated phrase, “And there, what does he see? And there, what does he see?” Each spread leads readers to the next with a tempting invitation: “Then the mouse ran through the book, the mouse ran through the book. He ran onto the next page to take a little look”. Kirsten Richards’ illustrations are soft, sweet, and fit perfectly with Margaret Wise Brown’s storytelling rhyme, creating a whole experience for readers. The end of the book suggests turning around and starting all over again – expect that at bedtime!

I loved Count to 10 With a Mouse, and this one is definitely going in my storytime collection. I’m tucking it into my Children’s Book Week book ideas.

Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears, by Margaret Wise Brown/Illustrated by Julie Clay, (Apr. 2019, Silver Dolphin), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684127603

Ages 2-6

What would a Margaret Wise Brown collection be without another cuddly bedtime story? Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears is perfect for bedtime cuddling. Pastel-colored endpapers look like a comfy quilt to snuggle down into, and the story – a big sleepy bear and a little sleep bear get ready for bed – teaches important lessons about modeling behavior. Everything big sleepy bear does, little sleepy bear does, from yawning, to stretching, to getting into bed and putting heads on the pillow. They each recite a sweet little rhyme (a variation of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep) and drift off to sleep. I’ve read this to my little guy when we’re both about to nod off, and it’s a wonderful way to ease into bedtime. The affection between big and little bear comes through as words and the soft art palette come together to send readers off to their own dreams.

The kids at storytime weren’t quite ready to go to bed when I finished this story, but it was a nice close to storytime. Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears is a new bedtime classic to add to your shelves.

The best news? Silver Dolphin is launching 15 more Margaret Wise Brown books this Spring and Summer, and will have two more in the fall!

picture books, Preschool Reads

A loving Moon watches and wishes…

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Moon Wishes, by Patricia Storms & Guy Storms/Illustrated by Milan Pavlovic, (March 2019, Groundwood Books), $17.95, ISBN: 9781773060767

Ages 4-7

A sweet bedtime story, a loving meditation from caregiver to child, Moon Wishes sees a gently illuminated moon overseeing nature, animals, and humans alike, and wishing all that’s good upon all it touches. The poetic text reads like a parent or caregiver’s loving murmur to a sleepy child, with phrases like, “If I were the moon, I would paint ripples of light on wet canvas and shimmer over dreams of snow…”, and “…if I were the moon, I would make myself big and bright and strong with love so that I could shine on you”. It’s soothing and gentle, comforting and and perfect to read to the little ones curled up in your lap or surrounding your storytime circle.

The watercolor illustrations give a dreamlike depth to the authors’ voices, presenting gently illuminated landscapes, a kind-faced moon lighting the way for animals and humans alike. The colors are soft and bright, landscapes moving from snowy icebergs through waters, forests, and towns. A lovely addition to picture book collections and bedtime storytime.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Bear parents: Just like us! Hush up and Hibernate

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hush Up and Hibernate, by Sandra Markle/Illustrated by Howard McWilliam, (Aug. 2018, Persnickety Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781943978366

Ages 3-7

Parents and caregivers will love this one as much as their kids. Mama Bear knows that winter’s coming, and it’s time to hibernate, but Baby Bear is just not ready to go to sleep yet, and can’t understand why he can’t stay up all winter. So he asks for something to eat. And then he has to have something to drink. And then the bed is too hard. And he hasn’t said goodbye to all the other animals in the forest! Mama Bear has finally had E-NOUGH, and tells him, in no uncertain terms, that it is time for hibernating. While Baby Bear finally beds down for the winter, he manages to have the hilarious, adorable, last word.

Sandra Markle is a nonfiction maven, and Hush Up and Hibernate shows that she’s got fiction chops, too. She creates a situation that every parent and child will recognize – that bedtime back-and-forth – and makes it sweet, funny, and absolutely relatable to nature, both wild and human. What parent hasn’t said, “Okay, I’m going, bye now…” to their child, who refuses to leave with them? (My mom did it to me, and I see parents saying it to their kids at the library. We wink at each other and smile.) What parent hasn’t heard “One more hug”, “I need a glass of water”, “I need to go to the bathroom”, and “I need to say goodnight to my 100 stuffed animals/everyone in the house/the moon and each planet”?

The artwork is bold and warm, with Mama and Baby Bear’s black fur standing out against the changing seasonal colors. Expressive, big eyes let readers know what’s on each bear’s mind, and Mama Bear’s expression at the end is utterly relatable. Absolute fun for bedtime and anytime. Add this one to your collections.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Mother Earth’s Lullaby sings us all to sleep

Posted on December 18, 2018December 18, 2018 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mother Earth’s Lullaby: A Song for Endangered Animals, by Terry Pierce/Illustrated by Carol Heyer, (Oct. 2018, Tilbury House), $17.95, ISBN: 9780884485575

Ages 3-6

A gentle rhyme set to painted illustrations of animals parents (including humans), Mother Earth’s Lullaby leads readers through bedtime in nature. Beginning and ending with a human mother and her two children (and cat), reading a bedtime story on the couch, spreads show different animal parents with their babies: panda and cub cuddle in bamboo leaves; a condor lies over its chick; polar bear cubs cuddle on their mother in their den; owlets take refuge in a tree. But for the humans, each group of animals depicted is endangered.

The story doesn’t really focus on endangered animals, per se; it’s up to readers and educators/caregivers to explain that these animals are endangered. The story suggests that even endangered animals feel safe in their dens while they sleep, next to their parents, who care for them and keep them safe. The paintings are realistic and will appeal to readers, and the rhyme, while not always even, makes for sweet bedtime reading. Back matter includes descriptions of each featured animal, a word on endangered animals and how readers can help with recovery efforts. This one is a nice additional purchase for storytime books.

picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Happy Book Birthday to Sleep, My Bunny – new Rosemary Wells!

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sleep, My Bunny, by Rosemary Wells, (Nov. 2018, Candlewick Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9780763692629

Ages 2-7

A delicate lullaby for bedtime, Sleep, My Bunny – originally published in 1977 as “Good Night, Sweet Prince” in Don’t Spill it Again, James – is Rosemary Wells’ newest picture book. A bunny family goes through their bedtime routine as the sun sets and night falls. As the words describe the sounds of the evening: crickets and owls sing together; the wind takes the moon for a ride; the pictures show a young bunny and his parents putting toys away, choosing pajamas, having a bath, and selecting a story before a little song and dance, and then, sleep.

The gentle pastels and mixed media artwork starts bold and bright, as the bright sun shines outside during sunset; gradually, the sky grows darker in each spread – the sky in the depicted window in each scene mirrors the text’s background on the accompanying pages – until a midnight blue brings bedtime to a sleepy Bunny. The family is loving and playful, delighting in one another; everyone’s smiles are wide and they have gentle, loving gazes for each other, making this a wonderful cuddle time book. Endpapers set the mood, with a tinge of sun in the lower left-hand corner of the front endpapers; a midnight blue sky and a hazy crescent moon shine on the back endpapers.

Sleepy, My Bunny is a gentle story for toddlers, preschoolers, and Kindergarteners; early readers can help at bedtime by reading this to a sibling (or pet, or lovey). Another classic from Rosemary Wells.

picture books, Preschool Reads

We totally party when you sleep: Duck on a Disco Ball Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Posted on October 22, 2018October 22, 2018 by Rosemary Kiladitis

In a book that plays on a kid’s night time FOMO (fear of missing out), Duck on a Disco Ball parts the bedtime curtain to show readers exactly what we parents do when we finally get kids down for the night. No, not the exhausted collapse onto the couch to fall asleep 10 minutes into our DVR’d backlog of The Flash, I mean THE PARTYING.

Duck on a Disco Ball, by Jeff Mack, (Nov. 2018, Two Lions),
$17.99, ISBN: 978-1-5039-0292-3
Ages 4-7

In what could be a scene directly out of my evening, a little boy stalls his bedtime with a litany of questions: “What if my duck needs a snack?” “What if there’s a huge party and I miss it?” Mom and Dad stand firm, and our little friend finally gives in – we think. See, he’s no one’s fool – he notices that “something is always just a little weird” in the mornings, so he decides to check out exactly what his parents are getting up to at night. Sure enough, Mom and Dad – and, in a stunning betrayal, Duck – are party animals, couch diving, throwing a party, and rocking out. A giant boulder sends the boy’s parent flying, cartoon-style, sky-high, and they land in their bed. By now, the boy falls asleep, too, and wakes up in the morning, not sure if he’s dreamed all of this… but he spies his duck behind the couch, near an electric guitar.

Duck on a Disco Ball is a companion to Duck in the Fridge (2014), and is way too much fun! Kids will laugh at the premise, because they will see themselves – and so will my fellow tired parents! Who hasn’t been asked for the 8th glass of water, 4th trip to the bathroom, 6th round of Piggies, and 3rd “just one more story/song/kiss”? Go ahead: let the kids know what we do at night! The cartoony artwork and bright colors draw readers right in, and it’s a perfect storytime read. Get as silly as you want here – heck, make this a stuffed animal sleepover storytime selection, and set the kids up to see pictures of their stuffed animals getting into all sorts of mischief. Duck on a Disco Ball is fun, punny, and most of all, gives us grownups the chance to wink at our kids when we say that 15th goodnight to our kids. Always leave ’em guessing.

Jeff Mack is the award-winning author and illustrator of Duck in the Fridge; Mine!; Ah Ha!; Good News, Bad News; and the Hippo and Rabbit series. He has also illustrated many books, including If My Love Were a Fire Truck by Luke Reynolds. His books have been awarded the Texas 2×2, a Junior Library Guild award, a Colorado Bell Award, a Pennsylvania Family Literacy Award, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year Award, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year award. Jeff lives in Massachusetts. Visit him online at jeffmack.com. Jeff Mack_offers a free lesson in how to draw the duck right here!

Twitter: @jeffmackbooks

Facebook: JeffMackBooks

Want a shot at winning your very own copies of Duck in the Fridge and Duck on a Disco Ball? Enter this Rafflecopter giveaway (U.S. addresses, please!)

Animal Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Dormouse is afraid to sleep alone… do you have space for him?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dormouse and His Seven Beds, by Susanna Isern/Illustrated by Marco Somà, (April 2018, NubeOcho), $16.95, ISBN: 978-84-946926-6-6

A bedtime story that you can Whisper

Posted on March 2, 2017March 2, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Whisper, by Joe Fitzpatrick/Illustrated by Marco Furlotti, (Sept. 2016, Flowerpot Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781486709465

A rabbit mother and child find The Way Home in the Night

Posted on February 26, 2017February 25, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Way Home in the Night, by Akiko Miyakoshi, (Apr. 2017, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771386630

Recommended for ages 4-7

A mother bunny carries her little bunny home at night. Narrated in the first person by the young bunny, readers see what he sees from the its vantage point in bunny’s mother’s arms. Shops are closing; phones ring; bunny smells a pie. Neighbors have parties, watch television, and say goodbye, all visible through their open windows. As the father bunny tucks the little one into bed, little bunny wonders about all the neighbors: are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the restaurant cook taking a bath, and is the bookseller reading on the couch?

Children love being out at night. It’s a magical thing; everything looks different. The bunny’s descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of night time, carried in mother’s arms, will appeal to readers who have had the same experience. The story also provides an opportunity for interactivity – ask kids to think of a time they, like the bunny, were carried home, and what they remember. Take your own kids outside at night for a walk down the street – what do you see together?

Akiko Miyakoshi’s black and white pencil, charcoal, and acrylic gouache artwork adds gently placed color for emphasis, and the hazy look to the artwork makes the story almost dreamlike; like the young bunny’s sleepy memory. Invite kids to draw their neighborhood at night – what are the neighbors doing? Do they hear cars, people talking, a train rumbling by, a dog bark, or silence?

The Way Home in the Night received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. The original Japanese release received a 2016 Bologna Ragazzi Award. Miyakoshi’s first picture book, The Storm (2016), won the Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix.

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

A little bedtime Shakespeare: Mabel and the Queen of Dreams

Posted on October 24, 2016October 24, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mabel and the Queen of Dreams, by Henry, Joshua, & Harrison Herz, (July 2016, Schiffer), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764351372

Recommended for ages 4-8

Little Mabel is an expert at not going to sleep. After she’s gone through her usual routine of excuses, she asks for a bedtime story. Mom is too happy to oblige, and spins a tale about the Fae Queen, who paints children’s dreams, but will only visit when Mabel closes her eyes, Mabel’s mom describes the Fae Queen and her hazelnut chariot; her dragonfly steed, and the dreams she paints. The words wrap themselves deliciously around Mabel – and the reader’s – imagination, drawing us into the Fae Queen’s world and leaving us all waiting for a visit.

I love this book. I love that a bedtime story for children is inspired by Shakespeare! The Fae Queen comes from Romeo & Juliet, in a soliloquy spoken by the character Mercutio, when he describes how a fairy queen influences dreams. Lisa Woods’ artwork adds another dimension to the story, with subdued colors and sketch-like illustration; the children’s dreams are portrayed as children’s drawings with bright colors, taking us into their imaginations to see mermaids, superheroes, astronauts, and brave knights. The Fae Queens’ fantasy elements are sweet and inviting, and my favorite part – when Mom tells Mabel how she will feel the Fae Queen’s presence in different ways – are beautifully rendered. I read this to my little one and tickle his nose and neck as the Fae Queen describes hovering and traveling over Mabel. The entire story creates a bedtime experience, lending itself to sweet nighttime cuddling and the promise of a dream adventure. An author’s note at the end gives readers Mercutio’s full speech, and Hamlet’s “What dreams may come” speech.

This book is a wonderful addition to bedtime bookshelves and collections. It’s a hit in our home.

I was thrilled to be able to ask author Henry Herz a few questions about Mabel and the Queen of Dreams – read on!

MomReadIt: I love that you adapted Shakespeare for a picture book audience! What inspired you to create a bedtime story and use the Queen of the Fae as a character?

Henry: There is something that tickles my funny bone about taking a familiar folk tale and tweaking it. Fractured fairy tales are quite popular – consider INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA by Deborah Underwood or NINJA RED RIDING HOOD by Corey Rosen Schwartz. The idea popped into my head to write a picture book based on a scene from Shakespeare. As I researched, I came across that oft-forgotten (at least by me) scene in Romeo and Juliet in which Mercutio waxes poetic about the little fairy queen Mab. Queen Mab affects sleepers’ dreams as she flies past, and I thought, what a great premise for a bedtime picture book. Plus, I love getting young readers interested in fantasy, and the idea of writing an urban fantasy bedtime picture book was irresistible. I hope that MABEL AND THE QUEEN OF DREAMS may spark in young readers some interest in reading more Shakespeare.

MomReadIt: Is your main character named Mabel as a nod to Queen Mab?

Henry: That is correct. In my story, Mab is a sleep-resistant girl. In the original, tiny fairy queen Mab’s hazelnut chariot is drawn through the air by a dragonfly. And we have the original Shakespearean soliloquy by Mercutio as an author’s note, so that young readers can compare the original with this modern version.

MomReadIt: I see that your sons are co-authors. How did they contribute?

Henry: They’ve been co-authoring with me since they were about 8 and 10 years old when we first collaborated on our self-published high fantasy early chapter book, NIMPENTOAD. I draft the stories and they review them, giving me feedback from a young reader’s perspective. They have also been instrumental in selling the book at book fairs, farmers markets, etc. They’re even better salesmen than they are writers. Although now that they’re 14 and 16, doing this with Dad isn’t as cool as it used to be…

MomReadIt: I hope we’ll see some more classic works for little ones from you and your family in the future. Thank you so much!

Henry: Thank you very much, Rosemary. We appreciate your support! Readers interested in learning more about our books can visit our website at www.henryherz.com.