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I Love You, Sleepyhead
by Claire Freedman
(Check Catalog)

Synopsis

As the sun slowly fades and the soft moon rises, baby animals are snuggling down to sleep while there mommies watch over them. This enchanting lullaby, with breathtakingly real illustrations, makes the perfect bedtime storybook for sleepyheads
ages 2 - 6.

From the Publisher

As the sun slowly fades and the soft moon rises, baby animals are snuggling down to sleep while there mommies watch over them. This enchanting lullaby, with breathtakingly real illustrations, makes the perfect bedtime storybook for sleepyheads ages 2 - 6

Children's Literature

Soft, slightly fuzzy illustrations tenderly portray animal mothers and their babies as the sun sets and they cuddle close for the night in this rhyming lullaby. Ducks are "safely tucked in their nest for the night, feathery bundles huddled up tight." On the frozen ice of Antarctica, "cuddled up close, little penguin stays warm, through the cold frosty night till the first light of dawn. Deep in the ocean where "the soft moonlight streams, a little whale floats in a sea of sweet dreams." Each verse and illustration paints a portrait of the universality of a mother's love and reassuring presence. With rhymes that do not always scan, this is not a first purchase but is, nevertheless, a sweet cradlesong that will set the mood for a little one's sleep. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey

School Library Journal

PreS-K- All of the baby animals are preparing for sleep. Each spread features a realistic painting of a different family: deer, lions, ducks, foxes, penguins, and more. The realism brings readers closer to the bedtime rituals of the wild, while the gentle rhymes temper the scene: "Wrapped up in love,/little bear feels so snug./Cuddled goodnight/in a big mommy-hug." Not all of the youngsters are so eager to comply, and children may see bits of themselves reflected back from the imagery. The text is simple and occasionally overly sweet. With all the terrific bedtime titles available, this an additional purchase.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Kirkus Reviews

The tender reassurance of a mother's affecting presence at bedtime is a universally appreciated theme (hence its ubiquity), here handsomely rendered by Mendez in fuzzy-edged full-page paintings of animal families, accompanied by a gentle, sometimes lyrical, sometimes imbalanced rhyme. "Look, little child, / as the night is unfurled, / The animals are going to bed / all around the world." The sleepy-eyed fawn feels safe by her mother, and yawning lion cubs snuggle up to a watchful lioness. Waddling ducklings huddle, little bear cuddles, while mother otter cradles baby "in the dappled moonlight." Young owls, a baby penguin, rabbits, monkeys, a panda and whale cub all feel close and safe as each, in turn, is kissed and told to "Sleep, my child, sleep, / ‘neath the moon's silver light. / I love you, sleepyhead, / sweet dreams-goodnight!" A visual lullaby of love and peace sadly hampered by the limping scansion. (Picture book. 2-5)