  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2014 In this sleepy-time read, a little girl gazes out a farmhouse window, thinking of how somewhere “a bee makes a bed in a rose,” “a beaver weaves a bed in a bog,” “a bear finds a bed in a log,” and so on. Each of the girl’s musings is illustrated with a view of the sleepy, shelter-seeking animal and then contrasted with the girl’s own similar preparations for bed. For example, the bear in a log is followed by the little girl burrowing under the covers to read. The book then moves softly toward sleep, as the girl thinks about how trees sleep, and a rooster perches on a sliver of moon. The final section bids adieu to all the animals we have met (“Go to sleep, little fish,” etc.) and ends with the girl’s mother leaning over the now-sleeping child: “Go to sleep, little ear.” The blue-hued mixed-media illustrations soothingly depict a farm as it moves from dusk to night and bring a hush to the book—and no doubt its readers as well. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 PreS-Gr 1—As night descends, a girl is getting ready for bed. "Somewhere a bee/makes a bed in a rose,/because the bee knows day has/come to a close." Each outdoor action of an animal preparing for sleep is mirrored by one inside: a bear ready for slumber in a log is juxtaposed with the little girl reading under the covers. Overall, the rhyming text is evocative, while some of the imagery is a bit whimsical. "Somewhere a worm sleeps in the dirt./Somewhere a pocket sleeps in a skirt." There is some disconnect among the title, cover, and text, as the cows, horses, and chickens are joined by owls, foxes, bears, beavers, and rabbits. The mixed-media illustrations are done in a muted palette composed primarily of blues, reds, and white and lend a sleepy, soothing, nighttime air to the story. Retro-styled, they evoke the "great, green room" in Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon. By the end, both the animals and the child are safely tucked in with the promise of dreams to come. A quiet book for sharing in a cozy setting.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |