Five on the Bed

September 15, 2020
A counting book follows a family's interactions on their shared bed. At first, there is only one on the bed, the sleeping cat. Then there is one, the dog, below the bed as well. The text continues to count how many are on and below the bed as parents and a child join in. The child lifts the dog up, causing cat, then dog, then parent to leave the bed; the child begins to jump above the bed. Then suddenly, there are none on the bed, just a messy pile of sheets and blankets--maybe. As the family gets ready to sleep, one by one, they get on the bed until there are five on the bed. This is a fun, playful counting book. The text emphasizes the numbers by printing them in all capitals, contrasting colors, and larger font. With its many prepositions, this is a great way to introduce spatial relationships and positions, such as on, above, below. The impressively intricate collaged cut-paper art adds texture and depth with a slight 3-D effect. The artwork beautifully captures all of the messy, silly, and joyful family interactions. The father has medium-brown skin and is bald, the mother has pale skin and straight, black hair, and the child has light-brown skin and straight, black hair. A delightful counting book to read aloud, especially at bedtime. (Picture book. 2-5)

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October 1, 2020

K-Gr 2-This warm and playful story about a family getting ready for bed is also a counting book. The three family members and two pets are counted on and off the bed, and also under and over it. Throughout the book, the mom, dad, and daughter are all shown being cozy and affectionate to one another and to their pets. The parents, an interracial couple, smile at their daughter while she hides in the covers. They snuggle with the girl while reading together at bedtime; the dad, with dark brown skin, is shown calmly petting the cat, and the girl, a lighter brown but with her pale mother's black straight hair, is seen rubbing the dog's belly under the bed. At the end, after some back-and-forth, all five family members are piled up together on the bed and happily asleep. There isn't much text, and the story is told primarily through the appealing illustrations. Boswell creatively uses cut paper to create a textured, 3D look on each page. Rich colors including dark blue and maroon contrast sharply with white sheets on the bed, creating bold images. VERDICT The vivid cut-paper illustrations bring to life this amusing bedtime story, ideal for one-on-one reading at nighttime.-Melanie Kletter, School Library Journal

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