Submitted by Ms. Brenda!
In A Bed of Your Own by Mij Kelly, Suzy Sue and her barnyard friends use delightful rhyming whimsy to teach us the importance of sleeping in our own beds. Suzy Sue is getting ready for bed. She’s brushed her teeth and climbed into bed. She’s turned out the light and grabbed her Ted. But, her usually comfy bed is suddenly UNcomfy. She finds out why when a cow, a horse, a sheep, and a goat all pop up from under the covers. They are wondering why her bed is feeling a bit cramped, too. Suzy Sue takes them back to the barn, tucks them in, and reads them a bedtime story. They still aren’t quite ready for sleep, so she begins to talk to them with a dreamy, drowsy voice, so very dreamy and drowsy that they are sure to fall asleep soon. Can you guess who falls asleep first? The illustrator, Mary McQuillan, has given us adorable characters to follow throughout the story. Their expressions are sure to bring giggles to kids and adults, and the story itself is sure to help little ones drift off to dreamland, too. See this book listed in our catalog
Bedtime
An Awesome Book
Submitted by Ms. Melissa!
Dreams can be amazingly awesome, if you let them be. Some people want ordinary things, so that’s what they dream of. But dreams should be different and special. They should make your heart smile and your mind happy. An Awesome Book by Dallas Clayton explains that dreams should be big. They should be awesome! Young or old, if you need a little inspiration, pick up this book, and imagine a world where Big Dreams take flight, and believe that they could actually happen! Here’s a video about the book if you’d like to learn more. See this book listed in our catalog
I Will Not Read This Book
Submitted by Ms. Jill!
I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng, illustrated by Joy Ang. A small boy does NOT want to read his bedtime book. At first he’s full of excuses – before he can read he just has so many other important bedtime tasks! When the delaying tactics run out, he lays down the law: He is NOT going to read this book. And you can’t make him. Not even if you do terrible things to him. In fact, he provides a list of all the terrible things you could do to him, starting with hanging him upside down by one toe, but he will still not read this book. Nope, no way. Even if he is in mortal peril (and set upon by foot-tickling monkeys), he won’t do it. But wait! Is there one thing, after all, that will get this reading resister into bed to share a story? Cece Meng’s text, building up line by line as the young hero grows more determined, perfectly captures the boy’s stubborn-but-silly resolve. Joy Ang’s richly colored digital art deftly shows the increasingly desperate peril of the imagined threats (sharks! lightning! a speeding train!). “Read it again!” will be your kids’ reaction to I Will Not Read This Book. See this book listed in our catalog
My Dad is Big and Strong, but…
Submitted by Ms. Allana!
My Dad is Big and Strong, but… by Coralie Saudo is a humorous story that reverses the mischief at bedtime usually brought about by the child. In this story a little boy is trying to get his dad to go to bed, but Dad is not co-operating! With comic-like illustrations by Kris D. Giacomo we follow the routine and ritual of the bedtime story, Dad asking for “Just one more!” and finally after much begging and pleading, he is put to bed by his exhausted son, who admits that although his father is big and strong… he still needs a light left on at night. Children of all ages will be entertained by this story, whether they read for themselves or with a grown up reader. See this book listed in our catalog
Creak! Said the Bed
Submitted by Ms. Amanda!
Creak! Said the Bed by Phyllis Root is an adorable tale of bed time that many kids can relate to. Who hasn’t climbed in bed with Mom or Dad when they are scared at night? The rhythm and onomatopoeia make for a great bed time, story time, or any time read aloud book. The story takes place in the middle of the night as Mama and Poppa are in bed asleep, when SQUEAK goes the door, and Mama’s eyes fly open. Who is awake? First, Evie wants to climb in bed because she is scared. Creak! said the Bed. Next, Ivy climbs in bed to warm up. Creak! said the Bed. Then, Mo wants to climb in bed to be safe from the storm outside. Creak! said the Bed. Poppa keeps snoring away – snurkle, snark – unaware of the storm, or his full bed. Then BOOM goes the thunder, and then Fred, the dog, wants in the bed. Finally awake, Poppa says “STOP!” but Fred leaps in anyway. CRACK, said the bed, and everyone but Poppa snores on. Finally Mama, Poppa, Evie, Ivy, Mo, and Fred are all settled in the broken bed when Creak, said the floor… See this book listed in our catalog
“I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
“I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear by Heinz Janisch and Silke Leffler is a book that teaches an important lesson, in my opinion, for children to learn. Meet the bear, with a problem. “I have a little problem,” he says. “You see, I…” but as he is about to explain, he is interrupted. First, by the inventor, who is sure that the bear’s problem is he is too heavy, so he makes the bear wings, so that he’ll feel lighter. Then the tailor, who is sure that the bear’s problem is that he has no scarf to wear. Then the hatter, who is sure a fine hat is the cure for whatever problem the bear might have. The bear visits many folks, but no one lets the bear tell them what his problem is! They just assume they can fix it with some new thing. Finally a fly sees the bear moping, and asks what’s the matter. The bear says “I don’t want to talk about it. No one listens to me anyway.” But the fly is willing to listen. It turns out the bear’s little problem is that he is afraid of the dark, and needs a friend in his cave with him at night. It just so happens the fly would be happy to stay in the bear’s cave, and be his friend. Being a friend means being a listener, and the moral of this story is when someone has a problem, we should listen, instead of just assuming we know what’s best for them. See this book listed in our catalog