Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
A rhythmic, snappy charmer of a bedtime book.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
It's a full-moon night, and the light shining in the window makes everyone restless. So how are they to sleep? The story is cumulative, adding each character -- the sleepless granny, the playful dog, the fidgety boy -- and the art adds to the action, with the cat leaping at a mouse and the dog bounding after a ball. Finally, a cricket chirping "a full moon song" starts a domino effect. It "soothes the mouse, who calms the cat, who gentles the dog, who snuggles the boy, who hugs the granny, in the dreamy bed."
Is It Any Good?
Picture-book veterans Audrey and Don Wood follow up their classic In the Napping House with this charmer of a sequel, perfect for helping fidgety kids wind down at bedtime. The text is smart and savvy; it's rhythmic and cumulative a la The House That Jack Built, which makes for a fun, kid-pleasing, and highly engaging read. The art is antic, nicely complimenting the restless characters in the text, and its moonlit, nighttime palette contributes to the overall soothing feel. On the last page, Granny and grandson are pictured cuddled up reading in the buttery light cast from the window, perhaps mirroring the reader's own bedtime ritual.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sleeping. Do you ever feel restless when you get into bed? What soothes you? Does reading at bedtime help?
Families also can talk about the cumulative structure of the story. Do you know the story The House That Jack Built? How is this story similar? How is it different?
Why do you think the author slows the text down once the characters calm down?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Don Wood
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 1, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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