Synopses & Reviews
Soft and warm, sweet and soothing, the stories and poems in this impressive, silver-jacketed anthologyand#8212;complete with one hour of calming classical music on CD and for downloadand#8212;are just right for bedtime.
Youand#8217;ll find eight complete picture books: Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed (Eileen Christelow), The Napping House (Don Wood/Audrey Wood), Bedtime Bunnies (Wendy Watson), Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep (Joyce Dunbar/Debi Gliori), The Goodnight Train (June Sobel/Laura Huliska-Beith), The Quiet Book (Deborah Underwood/Renata Liwska), Gideon (Olivier Dunrea), and No Sleep for the Sheep (Karen Beaumont/Jackie Urbanovic).
And eight illustrated poems: Joyce Sidmanand#8217;s and#8220;Welcome to the Night,and#8221; the Curious George and#8220;My Curious Dreamer,and#8221; Maxine Kuminand#8217;s and#8220;Alligator,and#8221; Calef Brownand#8217;s and#8220;Young Moth,and#8221; Kristine Oand#8217;Connell Georgeand#8217;s and#8220;Lullaby,and#8221; the traditional hawaiian lullaby and#8220;I Hold Thee My Baby,and#8221; Dana Jensenand#8217;s and#8220;The Stars Make Wishes,and#8221; and Bob Raczkaand#8217;s and#8220;With the Ember End.and#8221;
Pair this with The Family Storybook Treasury!
Review
"An excellent choice for parents."and#8212;School Library Journal
Review
"Both art and text emphasize the enchantment of misty dreams...reverberates with comfort and love." Publishers Weekly, Starred
Kiesler's dreamy acrylic paintings accompany a collection of lullabies with sea-faring themes. From the traditional to the contemporary, the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Eve Merriam, Rudyard Kipling, and others appear alongside traditional poems from France, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, and Hawaii. Sleepy images evoke their own rhythm of the sea, whether lapping waves, magical flying fish, or sailing ships. Each savory painting holds a blush of tenderness in a cloud, a shoreline, a fish's eye, the crook of a mother's arm stirring childhood sentiment. Earthbound seascapes make way for the particularly lovely flights of fancy: moon, stars, and wind personified as maidens with straw hats, scarves accompanying Jean Jaszi's Lullaby,' and a young boy's bed flying over rooftops for Stevenson's My Bed Is a Boat.' Ideal for lap-sharing, parents and children may discover in these pages their own starry nights together before bedtime. Kirkus Reviews
Review
The delightful use of language plays on the senses as it creates word pictures that are sure to entertain....A celebration of thses mighty living things and the people who love them.
School Library Journal, Starred
The original poems in this lovely, simple collection celebrate every aspect of trees in a variety of poetic forms including free verse, rhyme, and haiku....Kiesler's warm oil paintings beautifully complement the poems, making for a totally satisfying experience that is sure to be a favorite.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Review
"Children will enjoy the warmth and closeness of this charming family."and#8212;
School Library Journal, starred reviewand#160;
"Quiet and utterly darling."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"A warm glimpse of family life, with which little children will easily identify. . .Short, sweet, and smart."and#8212;Booklist
Review
andquot;This wonderful collection will resonate with all children as they recognize their earnest and sometimes misdirected antics in each poem. The pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations mirror the simplicity of each entry and capture the expressions of the boys and their adventures honestly. This is haiku at its most fun. All libraries should grab it for their collections.andquot;andmdash;
School Library Journal, starred reviewandquot;This is childhood as adults remember it, or want to remember it: no flat-screen TVs, no computers, no cars or cellphones. Whether children will recognize their own lives in these wistful visions is not clear, but they will certainly appreciate Raczka's humor.andquot;andmdash;Publishers Weeklyand#160; andquot;Non-rhyming poetry can be a tough sell for kids. For some, though, haiku is less intimidating, thanks to its brevity and reliance on rigid rulesandmdash;and intimidating is one thing this book is not.andquot;andmdash;Booklist
andquot;Raczka and Reynolds are a winning team, and the results will start many boy (and girl) readers thinking about turning their own experience into a seventeen-syllable poem.andquot;andmdash;The Horn Book
Review
"As in Flamingos on the Roof (2006) and Brownand#8217;s other titles, the wordsand#8217; playful sounds are a big part of the fun for young readers, and the lines are filled with the weird puns and unexpected rhymes . . . A good choice for energizing poetry units."and#151;Booklist
"[Brown] once again demonstrates his inventiveness, both through his poetry and his pictures."
and#151;Horn Book
Synopsis
A beautiful gift book that's a great value. Features eight complete picture books by authors like Don and Audrey Wood, and Eileen Christelow, plusand#160;eight illustrated poems and one full hour of soothing classical music onand#160;CD.and#160;This comprehensive bedtime collection with silver cover accents makes a great holiday gift and is the ultimate book to send children off to a night of sleep and sweet dreams.
Synopsis
In this endearing bedtime story, Willa's big brother helps her get to sleep by reminding her about all of the happy things around her. Willa is afraid of bad dreams. "Think of something happy," suggests her big brother, Willoughby. But Willa needs his help. So together they think of all the happy things that await her in the morning--cozy slippers to warm her little feet, a yummy breakfast, and the morning itself, which loves to gently nudge her awake. But for Willa, the happiest thing of all is knowing that Willoughby will be there in the morning, too, just like always. This reassuring bedtime book will quickly become a cherished addition to family libraries--favorite for grown-ups and little ones to share for years to come.
Synopsis
Images of sleep and images of the ocean meet in this enchanting picture book. Dreamy oil paintings accompany a selection of lullabies and poems that sing of the sea, boats, water, fishing, and sea creatures. Included are traditional rhymes from many countries, classics by Stevenson, Tennyson, Field, and Kipling, and selections by recent and contemporary poets, certain to give a young sailor a soothing sendoff at bedtime.
Synopsis
This tree across the stream is a trickier bridge than it might seem... The author of The Great From Race and Other Poems has created a collection of short poems that celebrate trees and the amazing variety of ways they touch our lives. Deceptively simple verses reveal what trees think about and what they say to one another, as well as how they look and all the things they do for us. Humor and an unerring ear for the sounds of language make these poems an irresistible read-aloud; the luminous oil paintings evoke a country setting and the children who enjoy it through the year.
Synopsis
An out-of-this-world journey to bedtime!
Synopsis
All aboard for Dreamland!and#160;Hold on to your pillow becauseand#160;the Goodnight Train is taking off. Roll that corner, rock thatand#160;curve, and soarand#160;past mermaids, leaping sheep, and even ice-cream clouds. You won't want to miss a thing, so whatever you do, don't . . . close . . . your . . . eyes!and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;With soothing, lyrical words and magical illustrations, June Sobel and Laura Huliska-Beith have created a nighttime fantasy that's guaranteed to make even the most resistant sleeper snuggle up tight.
Synopsis
It's always somebody's bedtime, somewhere in the world. In this book it's bedtime for five little rabbits. They come in from outdoors, have a snack, brush their teeth, take a bath, put on nightclothes, and listen to a story before being tucked in for the night. Outside, we see snowflakes falling. In the bunnies' home, all is warmth and coziness and playfulness and love. Four words per spread narrate the evening routine, and delightfully soft and spirited illustrations take readers into the bunnies' world. Young children who have this book as a bedtime companion are lucky indeed, especially if their own getting-ready-for-bed rituals are as familiar and tender as those of the five bunnies.
Synopsis
The wind and I play
tug-of-war with my new kite.
The wind is winning.
When youandrsquo;re a guy, nature is one big playgroundandmdash;no matter what the season. There are puddles to splash in the spring, pine trees to climb in the summer, maple seeds to catch in the fall, and icicles to swordfight with in the winter.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Nature also has a way of making a guy appreciate important stuffandmdash;like how many rocks it takes to dam up a stream, or how much snow equals a day off from school.
So what kind of poetry best captures these special moments, at a length that lets guys get right back to tree-climbing and kite-flying? Why, guyku, of course!
Synopsis
From the inner workings of Grandpaand#8217;s nose hair to noodles in a haystack, Calef Brown once again proves he is a master of hilarious poetic imponderables such as . . . donuts:
Why do all grownups like donuts so much?
They rave about flavors and fillings and such.
They praise all the glazes. They savor the dough.
Donuts are tasty. We get it! We know!!
About the Author
Kristine O'Connell George, one of the principal voices in contemporary children's poetry, has received the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and the Promising Poet Award. She lives with her family in Agoura, California.Born in New Hampshire and raised in Vermont, Kate Kiesler began painting at an early age. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and now paints and illustrates full-time. Kate paints with oils, and her rich style has been highly praised. Kate Kiesler has illustrated numerous picture books, including THE GREAT FROG RACE AND OTHER POEMS. She lives in Frisco, Colorado.