69. A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

Bibliographic Citation:

Na, Il Sung. A Book of Sleep. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2009. 24 p. ISBN 978-0375862236.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Starred Review, Booklist
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
Starred Review, School Library Journal

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
An owl watches as the other animals around him go to sleep for the night.

Personal Reaction:
Beautiful illustrations and gentle text shows the perspective that an owl, who is nocturnal, has of the other animals as they sleep through the night. The owl observes the places and ways that the other animals sleep. He notices that some animals sleep standing up and that fish even sleep with their eyes open and continue moving as they sleep. The use of texture and almost chalk-like hues creates a dreamy state, which encourages sleep.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-6 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Sleeping, nocturnal animals

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to participate in identifying animals and can be encouraged by the reader to answer questions about the ways in which animals sleep.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.


Print Awareness:
The text of this book appears in small, white print against the dark background of the night sky.


Print Motivation: 
The combination of the soft illustrations and gentle text make this a good book for a bedtime reading, which children will enjoy.


Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book is based on the identification of animals and the places and ways in which they sleep.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.ilsungna.com/home.htm

61. Moon Child by Nadia Krilanovich

Bibliographic Citation:
Krilanovich, Nadia. Moon Child. Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. New York, NY: Tricycle Press, 2010. 32 p. ISBN 978-1582463254.

Awards/Selection Lists:

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Three animal babies of the night play with the moon before drifting off to sleep with their families.

Personal Reaction:
The soft illustrations and simple text tell the story from the perspective of three nocturnal animal babies who "play" with the moon as is hangs in the sky above them. The illustrations are from a perspective that a child might have of the moon "following" them. The gentle text makes this a nice bedtime story for young children.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime, nocturnal animals, night sky, perspective, families

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through simple text that provides the opportunity for dialogic reading experiences. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in white font over a dark background on each page, drawing attention to the connection between the text and the illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
This book provides the familiar experience of seeing the moon as something that is "touchable" for young children. The familiarity of the subject matter combines with the soft illustrations and gentle text to create a book that children will enjoy choosing as a bedtime story.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of this book deals with the night sky and the perspective of the moon by the different animals.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website
Illustrator website: http://elizabethsayles.blogspot.com/

52. How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges

Bibliographic Citation:
Sturges, Philemon. How Do You Make a Baby Smile?. Illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2007. 24 p. ISBN 978-0-06-076072-4. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Methods for playing with a baby in order to get a reaction are represented through animals and their babies, and then back to a human baby playing with his mother.

Personal Reaction:

This simple book relates the play activities that animal parents engage in with their young, and then brings the story back to a human baby playing with his mother before bedtime. The animals in the story are then revealed to be the toys that belong to the baby. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Playing with baby, animals, bedtime

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are supported through a question, answer format of this book.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through simple, rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
Print awareness is promoted through simple text printed on each page, supported by illustrations that match the text. 

Print Motivation: 
This book, with rhyming text, and lively, colorful illustrations, is an enjoyable book to read with young children at bedtime.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book deals with words relating to how animal parents play with their children, and then relates back to a human baby and mother playing together before bedtime.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website
Illustrator website: http://www.bridgetstrevens.com/

50. Tell Me About Your Day Today by Mem Fox

Bibliographic Citation:
Fox, Mem. Tell Me About Your Day Today. Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2012. 40 p. ISBN 978-1416990062. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A boy and his stuffed animals enjoy a bedtime ritual which includes the recounting of the events of the day. 

Personal Reaction:
Mem Fox uses traditional language, paired with soft illustrations, to tell the story of a young boy who loves the rituals of bedtime. The boy and his stuffed animals take turns telling about their day, until they share a hug, and drift off to sleep.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Retelling the events of the day, bedtime rituals, turn-taking 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled by the main character in this book as he takes turns recounting the events of the day with each of his stuffed animals. The format for retelling the events of the day remains the same for each of the stuffed animals, as well as for the little boy, in a repeated series of lines each time. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is modeled through repeated rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
Each line of text is printed in white, on a dark blue background, in position around each of the illustrations in order to draw attention to the connection between the illustrations and the printed text on each page.

Print Motivation: 
The soft illustrations and gentle bedtime story make this a book that children will enjoy embedding into their own bedtime ritual each night.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book is connected to the repeated line spoken to each of the animals and the boy recounting the events of the day ("the who, the what, the why, and the way").



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html
Illustrator website: http://www.laurenstringer.com/Home.html

42. Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming

Bibliographic Citation:
Fleming, Denise. Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2010. 32 p. ISBN 0805081267.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Booklist Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Sleepy animals are introduced at bedtime, along with the repeated phrase, "sleepy, oh, so sleepy", until a human baby appears as part of a big world of sleeping babies at the end.

Personal Reaction:

This book is a naturally calming story and is perfect to read at bedtime. The repeated refrain connects all of the sleeping babies together, animal and human alike, all across the planet. Denise Flemings' pulp paper art works well in combination with the soothing text to create a book that will help lull children to sleep as it is read. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime, animals, sleeping

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to softly participate in reciting the refrain "sleepy, oh so sleepy" after each animal is introduced.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in black, simple text, drawing attention to the connection between the illustrations and the words on the page.

Print Motivation: 
Soothing text and illustrations make this book work well as a bedtime tradition that children will enjoy.

Vocabulary:
Words that are introduced through the story are connected to different animals in the story.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.denisefleming.com/

29. I Love You As Much... by Laura Krauss Melmed

Bibliographic Citation:

Krauss Melmed, Laura. I Love You As Much.... Illustrated by Henri Sorensen. New York, NY: Tupelo Books, 1993. 22 p. ISBN 978-0688159788.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Board book

Annotation:

A mother expresses her love for her baby through rhyming text that compares her love to the love that different animal mothers have for their children. 

Personal Reaction:

Beautiful painted illustrations accompany a lullaby-type story that a mother shares with her baby as the baby drifts off to sleep. The text is written in rhyme that is poetry-like, and is accompanied by soft, painted illustrations that look like mini portraits on each page. This book makes a nice bedtime book for a parent to read to their child.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 12 months to 4 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Bedtime, parent-child love, animals, motherhood

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Older children will be able to take part in naming the types of animals, and after hearing the story many times, should be able to help recite the rhyming text.

Phonological Awareness: 
The rhythm of the rhyming text supports phonological awareness.

Print Awareness:
The text is printed in spaces that do not take away from the illustrations; however, the font is also small, light, and ornate, making it more difficult for children to connect to the words of the story as they are read to them. 

Print Motivation: 
This book, with its sweet text and beautiful illustrations would be a book that children might choose over and over at bedtime. 

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary includes animal names, and words that each animal uses to describe their love. Young children may learn new words associated with each animal's description. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.laurakraussmelmed.com/
No official illustrator website

26. When Will it be Spring by Catherine Walters

Bibliographic Citation:
Walters, Catherine. When Will it be Spring? New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books, 1997. 32 p. ISBN 978-0525458814.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Alfie is a bear cub who doesn't want to go to sleep for the winter until he knows when spring will come. 

Personal Reaction:

Alfie's story is one that resonates with parents of children who do not want to go to bed at night. Changes in weather from fall, to winter, to spring, are taught through Alfie's experiences as he waits for spring to come. Children also learn about hibernation as Alfie's mother attempts to get Alfie to hibernate with her through the winter months. Alfie learns to be patient just in time for spring, and then falls asleep.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Seasons, hibernation, bears, patience/waiting

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are encouraged to help tell the story through recognition of illustrations of familiar seasonal settings.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the things that Alfie thinks he sees is printed in all capital letters in order to connect to the illustrations on the page. This draws a child's attention to the print on the page.

Print Motivation: 
This book offers an enjoyable story that children will enjoy hearing every year as they wait for spring to arrive. The illustrations are soft and subtle, and Alfie's confusion provides the opportunity for children to arrive at the correct answers before Alfie does.

Vocabulary:
Children are encouraged through the text to learn about hibernation, as well as to identify what animals and climate changes are a part of the seasons.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

24. A Mouse Told His Mother by Bethany Roberts

Bibliographic Citation:
Roberts, Bethany. A Mouse Told His Mother. Illustrated by Maryjane Begin. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 1997. 32 p. ISBN 978-0316749824.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A mouse continues to use his imagination as his mother leads him through the process of preparing for bed.

Personal Reaction:
A mouse is playing when his mother comes to get him ready for bed. The mouse continues to use his imagination from "going to the moon" while brushing his teeth; to "climbing" a snow covered mountain in his pajamas; to "hopping into an airplane" while getting into bed; until he finally "comes back home again", and drifts off to sleep. The illustrations are vivid and colorful, pairing the mouse's real actions with his imaginary ones. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime routine, imaginary play, mice, adventure

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children can become part of the narration of the story through describing what the mouse is doing in the illustrations.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in medium-sized font in alternating white or black in order to be seen on the pages. The illustrations play a more prominent role than the print on each of the pages, but is still visible, and connect back to the events in the illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
This book is an enjoyable bedtime read with beautiful illustrations that children will want to revisit.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary included within the text of the story connects to objects used and actions taken during bedtime. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.bethanyroberts.com/
Illustrator website: http://www.maryjanebegin.com/

7. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Bibliographic Citation:

Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon. Illustrated by Clement Hurd. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1982. 32 p. ISBN 0064430170

Awards/Selection Lists:

2007 National Education Association "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children"
2012 School Library Journal "Top 100 Picture Books of All Time" 

Format Examined:

Paperback

Annotation:

As a little rabbit gets ready to go to sleep, he tells all of the familiar things around him goodnight, one by one, until he is asleep.

Personal Reaction:

Goodnight Moon is a beautifully written and illustrated book, perfect to be read as a bedtime story. A little rabbit says goodnight to all of the things he finds most familiar, as an old lady rabbit sits in her rocking chair knitting. The room darkens a little at the time as they little rabbit continues saying goodnight to his surroundings, first to the room itself, and ending with "noises everywhere" as the book closes to a dark room. The gentleness of the story is mesmerizing as it lulls the reader and listeners into a quiet state.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 0-4 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime, gentleness, nighttime

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills:
The gentle, rhythmic text encourages children to say goodnight to each object as the little rabbit does.

Phonological Awareness:
The use of lyrical lines and rhyming words calls attention to phonological sounds within the story. 

Print Awareness:
The illustrations alternate between black and white and color throughout the book. On pages with black and white artwork, the text is black, while on color pages, the text is printed in the upper and lower corners in red. This technique draws attention to the words in a way that allows it to stand out without taking away from the illustrations on the page.

Print Motivation:
The repetition, rhyme, gentle text, and soft illustrations work together to make this a bedtime book that will be asked for over and over again for many more years to come.

Vocabulary:

Objects are identified through the little rabbit saying goodnight to each object individually. 

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author, Margaret Wise Brown's website: http://www.margaretwisebrown.com/ 
No official site available for the illustrator

4. The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Bibliographic Citation:

Wood, Audrey. The Napping House. Illustrated by Don Wood. Boston, MA: Red Wagon Books, 2000. 16 p. ISBN 978-0152026325

Awards/Selection Lists:

ALA Notable Children's Book
Booklist Editor's Choice
California Young Reader Medal
Golden Kite Award
New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year

Format Examined:

Board Book

Annotation: 
On a rainy day, a boy, a dog, a cat, a mouse, and a flea all take a nap on top of a snoring granny until the flea sets off a chain of reactions after biting the mouse.

Personal Reaction:
Illustrations of soft shades of blue combined with the rain falling outside the house lulls the listener into a state of relaxation as the story begins, "There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping". The tone of the story is lyrical and repeats the same refrain at the end of each phrase, "...in a napping house, where everyone is sleeping". The story continues to build until each of the sleepy characters: a granny, a child, a a dog, a cat, a mouse, and a flea are all stacked, slumbering one on top of the other in the "cozy" bed. That is, until the flea bites the mouse; the mouse scares the cat; the cat claws the dog; the dog thumps the child; the child bumps the granny; and the granny breaks the bed. The story is simple, yet inviting to toddlers and preschoolers, as they can see what might be coming as soon as the flea takes his place on the top of the heap.    

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children ages 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Sleeping, rain, repetition, prediction

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
There is no direct focus on letter knowledge in this book.

Narrative Skills:
The repetition of the lyrical lines of text invites children to take part in telling the story as the lines become familiar and the story predictable.  

Phonological Awareness:
Rhyming words offer children the opportunity to match like sounds throughout the story.

Print Awareness:
The text is printed in simple font and repeats each line as the story is counted down. This provides the experience of matching text lines from page to page, and the awareness that the printed words on the page say the same thing in the matching lines.

Print Motivation:
The sweet text of the story, soft colors, rhyming text, and repeating lines make this book an enjoyable book for young children, especially at bedtime.

Vocabulary:

Repeated words offer exposure to new words, such as "dosing", "slumbering" and "snoozing".

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author, Audrey Wood's and Illustrator, Don Wood's website: http://www.audreywoodauthor.com/
  

1. Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

Bibliographic Citation:

Craig, Lindsey. Farmyard Beat. Illustrated by Marc Brown. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. 32p. ISBN 978-0375864551

Awards/Selection Lists:

Oppenheim Best Book Gold Award, 2011

Wilde Award, Picture Books, 2011

Granite Media: Best Preschool Books, 2012

Books 4 Learning: Favorite Bedtime Stories, 2011

Format Examined:

Hardcover

Annotation:

The chicks wake up the sheep with their rhythmic peeping, which causes a chain reaction where all the animals wake up and join in, until they wake up Farmer Sue.

Personal Reaction:

Farmyard Beat begins with chicks who just cannot get to sleep because "they got that beat". All their rhythmic peeping wakes up sheep. The story continues with each animal joining in the fun while waking up the next animals that rhyme with the sound that they are making. The rhythm and rhyme of the text invites the listener to become involved in telling the story through movement and guessing the animals that are coming next in the story. Farmer Sue enters the scene when the animals awaken her with their Farmyard Beat. Listeners are led to wonder if Farmer Sue will be upset with the animals, but the surprise is that she joins in the fun, until all of the animals become tired and "fall in a heap asleep" along with Farmer Sue in her bed.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for ages 3 to  5 years.

Themes/Issues:

Animals, Rhythm

Early Literacy Skills Addressed

Letter Knowledge: Letter knowledge is not directly addressed in the text.

Narrative Skills: The rhythm and rhyme of the story makes the story easy for young children to recite and retell on their own.

Phonological Awareness: The sounds that the animals make are written out as they would sound, which supports phonological awareness.


Print Awareness: The text is fairly large on each page, and the animal sounds are in large type. White print against the textured paper pictures makes the words easy to for children to see.

Print Motivation: The animal sounds draw the children in with large text to represent the sounds that each animal makes. The rhythm and rhyme is fun, and makes reading the book enjoyable.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary is encouraged through the different animal sounds.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

No official author website