  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 12/01/2019 Baby Annalise fusses, screams, and shrieks so loudly that the construction workers jackhammering the sidewalk below her window complain about the noise. “Sleepy?” asks her father. “NO!” So he takes her for a soothing stroller ride. When he begs her to take a nap, a gentleman sitting on a park bench says that he’ll take it instead. Others are willing, too, and soon every person and creature in sight is asleep, except one. The sound of their snores makes even Annalise sleepy, but all the naps are taken. A cat gives her one and, finally, she falls asleep. Known for the Mr. Lemoncello series, Grabenstein offers a mildly amusing tale of a strong-willed child who changes her mind, and Espinosa contributes a series of lively illustrations featuring expressively drawn characters. Comical details, such as the steaming soup bowl held aloft by a waiter sleeping on the ground, add to the fun. Adults will relate to the drooping parents’ fatigue, while kids will recognize Annalise’s stubborn determination. Questions within the story help make this an interactive read-aloud experience. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 PreS-Gr 1—Most toddlers desperately need a nap but will do anything in their power to avoid one, and Annalise Devin McFleece is no exception. Her parents try to get her to take a nap, but Annalise fusses, fumes, and screams so loud that the entire neighborhood knows that she was NOT napping. Her desperate father decides to take her on a walk through the neighborhood in her stroller. He begs her to nap as he pushes her through the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood, but stubborn Annalise continually says no and keeps her eyes wide open. They run into a man lying on a bench, who asks if he can have Annalise's nap if she doesn't want to take it. Soon, everyone in the neighborhood realizes just how sleepy they feel and everyone begins to fall asleep; the dog walker, the baker, the construction workers, the police officers, even Annalise's father. Everyone is asleep except for Annalise, which, in true toddler fashion, makes her so angry because everyone has something that she doesn't. Annalise exclaims, "I want to take a nap" and finally, she does. Very detailed illustrations paint the picture of an entire community dozing, including a hairstylist asleep while his blow-dryer is on and a waiter fast asleep while still holding a hot bowl of soup. VERDICT Recommended for picture book collections and families with young children who will relate to the very real struggle for naps.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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