Sleep Song

Relates, in simple rhyming text, a child's bedtime activities, from singing a song and brushing teeth to playing a game and counting sheep

PreS?This refreshing alternative to board and cloth books presents a vignette in short rhyme of a child's activities before going to bed?trying to hide, running around in bare feet, bathing, looking out the window, being held, and finally falling asleep. The text is expanded upon and made more vivid by the illustrations; large, two-page, almost photorealistic watercolors show the world from the youngster's point of view. The pictures focus only on what the child thinks is important from moment to moment: a falling lamp, a sleeping friend, a favorite spot to be tickled. Throughout, the rhyme helps to reinforce this solo focus. While this is a romanticized view of toddler life, it's also an important antidote to the arsenic hours before bedtime that too many parents and children experience. An ideal way to close the day?with lilting affection and calming dispatch to sleep.?Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Sing song sing song/ Listen to the sun yawn," begins this lyrical, sweet bedtime book. Ray's (To Cross a Line) quiet litany of rhymed couplets accompanies Mitchell's (Rain Feet; Joshua's Night Whispers) lifelike if somewhat drab portraits of a rosy-cheeked, androgynous toddler as he/she is patiently put to bed by both parents. Following a look at the clock ("Tick tock tick tock/Listen to the hall clock"), the family embarks on their evening routine: "Bath time bath time/ Listen to the words rhyme"; and the more enigmatic "Scrunch low scrunch low/ Listen to the search grow." At the end, the parents are silhouetted in the doorway as the sleeping baby cuddles a woolly lamb. Soothing. Ages 1-3.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 2-4. Rhyming text and softly colored watercolor paintings depict a young child's bedtime rituals in this charming book. The day is ending, but there is still much to see and do for a playful child: a game of hide-and-seek ("Scrunch low scrunch low / Listen to the search grow"), bath time ("Bang crash bang crash / Listen to the boats splash"), and finally, bedtime. The realistic illustrations capture the spirited play and the quiet cuddle time that precede sleep. With an abundance of repetition, rhyme, and action, the book will soon be a favorite among children. It will also please parents and preschool teachers, who can use the text's rhyming pattern to help little ones develop their prereading skills, and it will attract educators who are demanding high-quality literature to read to young children. Lauren Peterson