Ten Little Night Stars

January 15, 2018
As stars appear in the night sky, one by one, a handful of animal children prepare for bed, helped along by their parents in this padded board book. Gruelle uses lilting rhymes to move from one number to the next while highlighting familiar bedtime routines: “Three little night stars,/ Who could ask for more?/ I wriggle on my jammies,/ And then there are.../ Four!” Moving among families of lions, pandas, hippos, and more, Murphy maintains a one-on-one focus, showing a single mother or father caring for a single child—making sure teeth get brushed, reading a bedtime book, doing bedtime prayers, etc. The rhymes and cozy domestic scenes reside in sugary-sweet territory but are sure to soothe, too. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agency: Advocate Art.