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Little Owl’s Bedtime

May13
Little Owl's Bedtime

Little Owl’s Bedtime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Owl’s Bedtime

Debi Gliori

Alison Brown

Bloomsbury, 2021 

28pp., board book., RRP $A14.99

9781526603441

Little Owl is back in another story for littlies but this time instead of waiting anxiously for a new sibling; being concerned about starting preschool  or looking for any reason not to stop his game and have a bath , this time he is trying to avoid going to bed. His pillow is too lumpy, his quilt is too hot, it is too dark and what is that strange snorting noise he can hear?  Perhaps one last bedtime story will help or maybe, just maybe, Mummy Owl has an ingenious way to soothe her restless Little Owl and help him get a good night’s sleep . .

Over the last few years, Little Owl has become a favourite with our youngest readers as his adventures and concerns mirror their own so closely, and now that it is available in board book format, they will be delighted that they will be able to handle the book themselves and tell themselves the story.  Even though the words might be small and a bit tricky, Alison Brown’s delightful illustrations have more than enough detail and familiar activity for them to work out what is happening in this essential pre-reading behaviour.  

It is such a bonus to be able to give our little ones real books with real stories that are sturdy enough for their developing hands so they can understand from the earliest age that stories bring pleasure. 

Little Owl’s Bathtime

Mar28
Little Owl's Bathtime

Little Owl’s Bathtime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Owl’s Bathtime

Debi Gliori

Alison Brown

Bloomsbury, 2021

32pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781526613875

Little Owl is back in another adventure that will resonate with our youngest readers as he tries everything he can think of to continue playing King of the Castle and avoid having a bath. Bathtime means the end of the day and the end of the fun. But Mummy Owl has a few tricks up her sleeve and entices him to wallow in Bubble Mountain and play with the Giant Invisible Penguin, so much so that Little Owl doesn’t want to get out. 

As with the others in this series, Gliori and Brown have combined to create a story around a familiar activity that the target audience will recognise and get great fun from.  Even if they can’t outwit their parents who are trying to bather them, they will have a host of new excuses to try out, while their parents may get some tips to deal with the situation without needing tears and tantrums.

Moonlight Mums

Feb22
Moonlight Mums

Moonlight Mums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonlight Mums

Laura Stitzel

Puffin, 2020

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760895792

Bedtime and time to snuggle down. But in this family, like so many others, it is dad who is putting the little one to sleep because her mother is still at work. 

And as he acknowledges that her mum misses her too, he tells her of other mums like the owl, the frog and the wombat who must also be awake and alert at night so they can keep their babies safe and snug.

This is one of those gentle stories that help little ones understand that there are many different types of family circumstances and each family works out just which is right for them. There is no right or wrong, just different. My own granddaughters were tucked up and in by their dad every night because of the different shifts their parents worked and they just accepted it for what it was.  Of course it was a treat to have mummy home to read the bedtime story when she could but otherwise, life went on to its own rhythm.

The gentle rhyming text and soft palette add to the atmosphere of drawing the curtains on the day…

Mums with many things to do
All miss their little ones, like you.

As well as reassuring little ones that Mummy will be home and will kiss them goodnight, using the creatures as illustrations opens up ideas to explore what other creatures are awake at night and why they are.  Why is the dark the safest cover for some? 

Reassuring, restful and recommended for families whose working hours are not the conventional. 

Back to Sleep

Oct24
Back to Sleep

Back to Sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Sleep

Zoë Foster Blake

Mike Jacobsen

Puffin, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760897901

Just as he is drifting off to sleep, Finn hears a noise at his bedroom door.  In walks Mummy, and she is thirsty. Taking her by the hand and carefully guiding her around his Lego space station, Finn settles her back in bed with her water bottle.  Then just as he is settling down again, there is another noise.  This time it is Daddy who has had a bad dream, but as Finn guides him back to bed Daddy stands on the Lego…

This is a role reversal story of bedtime that will appeal to young readers who will see themselves and their nighttime antics in the actions of the parents.  Teamed with  hilarious illustrations which offer more each time you look at them, this is a bedtime story that will be shared over and over again as parent and child recognise the various mishaps which will no doubt spark memories and chatter. 

One of the most powerful ways to get little people interested in the magic of books is to write about situations in which they can see and place themselves, and this certainly does that.  One to recommend to your parents of preschoolers.

Go Away, Worry Monster!

Oct21
Go Away, Worry Monster!

Go Away, Worry Monster!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go Away, Worry Monster!

Brooke Graham

Robin Tatlow-Lord

EK Books, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925820393

It is the night before Archie is due to start at a new school and the Worry Monster has crept into his bedroom spruiking all the usual worries about getting lost, not making friends, doing maths all day and no sport that such monsters do.

Normally, Archie would call on his mum and dad to scare it away because it is scared of them, but this time he tries to have a go himself.  He thinks back to the things his mum taught him the last time, and summoning all his courage he applies them.  He takes a deep breath so his lungs make his belly grow bigger like a balloon; he thinks of the facts and tells them to the Worry Monster; he tells the Worrmy Monster to go away; and then he reads a book to ignore it and distract him.  But do his strategies work…

Worry Monsters have been out and about all this year, not just before big events like starting school and any stories that help our littlies develop strategies to send them on their way are welcome.  This one is beautifully written and illustrated and any child could put themselves in Archie’s pyjamas and feel empowered.

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Encouraging littlies to dig deep to find the courage and determination to send the Worry Monster scampering is an ongoing process because they’re not necessarily ready to do it at the same time as their siblings or peers.  So to have another book in the arsenal is valuable – sharing Archie’s story might just be the one that reaches a particular child.

 

Ten Sleepy Sheep

Sep3
Ten Sleepy Sheep

Ten Sleepy Sheep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Sleepy Sheep

Renée Treml

Puffin, 2020

24pp., board book., RRP $A14.99

9781760896768

Dusk on the farm and it’s time for the animals to go to sleep and so in this gentle countdown book, each settles down for the night.  

The ideal bedtime book to draw the curtains on the day for our youngest readers, the rhyme and rhythm will lull them off to sleep just as it does the sheep, the calves, the koalas and all the other little creatures who need their rest. 

Featuring the iconic soft drawings that we’ve come to associate with Treml’s work , this would be the ideal gift for a new mum and dad to start their little one’s reading journey.  

In My Dreams

Jul10
In My Dreams

In My Dreams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In My Dreams

Stef Gemmill

Tanja Stephani

New Frontier, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925594928

It is amazing where our imaginations and subconscious take us when we sleep – we can float on marshmallow clouds,splash in jelly puddles and showers of strawberry rain… Or we can dive deep, chase fast fish and race against pirates… Even if those adventures are sometimes dark and shadowy, a blink of the eyes sends them on their way.

Author Gemmill has really let her imagination go wild as she retells the little boy’s nighttime adventures which Illustrator Stephani has brought to life in a riot of colour and fun while still maintaining the dream-like quality with the muted, merged backgrounds. From the gilded, bejewelled cover, and echoed in the rolling text, this is a delightful romp through the imagination to the very end, which just begs the input of the reader to tell and illustrate their own dreams.

 

A peek inside....

A peek inside….

Bedtime Daddy

May22
Bedtime Daddy

Bedtime Daddy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bedtime Daddy

Sharon Giltrow

Katrin Dreiling

 EK Books, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925820386

It’s 7.00pm and it’s time for bed. No more screentime or playtime and regardless of the protests, it’s time. But it takes perseverance and patience to work through all the diversions and distractions – getting into PJs, teeth brushing,, toilet time, stories and questions, one last drink and the inevitable monsters that need despatching…

Parents and younger readers will really resonate with this story and the beautifully illustrated scenes with lots of detail will be so familiar, but they will also love the twists in the tale that make it stand out from other stories on the topic.

Because it is such a familiar routine, there are lots of opportunities for discussion as young listeners compare, predict, and make connections with their own experiences and those of the characters. However, there are also strong teaching aspects such as time, day and night, moon phases, the need for sleep and so on that offer lots of opportunities for this to be more than a bedtime story with comprehensive teachers’ notes and activities available to assist this. 

As our youngest littlies’ lives start to return to normal and regular routines are reinstated, this has great potential to help them re-establish those as they create sequencing charts that they can follow and tick off each time they are completed.  Parents will love it.

There’s No Such Thing

Apr13
There's No Such Thing

There’s No Such Thing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s No Such Thing

Heidi McKinnon

Allen & Unwin, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760877279

It’s night time and Bear and Ted are camping in the yard for the very first time.  But the sounds of night falling are keeping Bear awake and his imagination is on high alert.  From blood-sucking spiders, to hungry giants, and fire-breathing dragons, the dark is populated by amazing monsters,.  Luckily, he has Ted there to help him stay calm.  But when they both smell something….

From the creator of the delightful Baz and Benz and I Just Ate My Friend, this is another story that will appeal to our youngest readers because they can be the hero and reassure Bear that there is no such thing, but, at the same time, being reassured by Ted that there is no such thing.   Whatever their imagination might think, there is a logical explanation.  Or is there???? 

Goodnight Glow Worms

Mar25
Goodnight Glow Worms

Goodnight Glow Worms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodnight Glow Worms

Aura Parker

Puffin, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780143792918

Goodnight, Glow Worms shining bright,
Time to dim your Glow Worm light.
Glow Worms gleaming, beaming round,
Can’t switch off and can’t wind down.

It is glow worm bedtime but they are finding it very difficult to go to sleep.  Something is missing.  But even when that’s discovered, Yellow Glow Worm just can’t turn off his light.

This is another delightful story for littlies from the author of the equally delightful Meerkat Splash written in rhyme and repetitive text and accompanied by illustrations that encourage discussion and interactivity with its focus on helping little ones identify colours. But it could also lead to bigger things with the child’s curiosity about glow worms sparked and an investigation into why and how they glow.  Can they really turn off their lights?

Perfect for preschoolers.