Yawn! Books for Bedtime
Posted by: Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan
Lynn: Cindy and I have two cozy picture books that are perfect for sleepy bedtimes or warm cuddles on a snowy day. I’m leading off with Denise Fleming’s wonderful Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy (Holt 2010). Each two-page spread shows a different baby animal drifting off to sleep, safely snuggled next to a parent. The simple lulling text repeats a refrain for each animal.
Tiny baby panda,
sleepy, oh so sleepy.
Fleming’s signature pulp paintings are richly colored yet create a sense of soft sleepiness. The effect is so wonderfully soporific that little listeners will be nodding off by the last page. The adult readers will be fighting off the yawns as well!
Fleming is a favorite author of our focus group and although they are getting a little old for this book, they were eager to give it a test read when it arrived in galley last summer. They gave it a big thumbs up and plan to read it to their new cousin, baby Henry when he visits during the holidays. Stay tuned but my guess is that Henry will love it.
Cindy: I should never have waited to write my section in the morning before work! I just want to curl up in my p.j.s and hibernate all day after rereading Hibernation Station (Simon & Schuster 2010) by Michelle Meadows. Ever wonder how forest animals prepare for their long winter hibernation?
Fuzzy slippers, warm pajamas.
Forest babies and their mamas…
show up early at the station!
Time for winter hibernation.
Yes, some gather food to munch on if they are the types to awaken throughout the winter, but the pajamas they wear! 
Meadows’ soothing rhyming text is supplemented perfectly with Kurt Cyrus’ uh-dorable illustrations of pajama-clad animals climbing aboard the Hibernation train cars for their winter journey…to dreamland. Conductor Bear has cute train pajamas, the snakes long blue and white striped numbers, and the snails have cute little wraps around their necks. Tails and other body parts are accommodated, and turtle has fuzzy wool clog slippers. But despite their perfect attire, even hibernation bedtimes leave little ones squirming and stalling to fall asleep as parents of any toddler are well aware. The solutions will leave everyone yawning and ready to curl up for a few hours if not a few months…sign me up.
