It's Not a Bed, It's a Time Machine

May 13, 2019
In this slight but lively bedtime book, a boy is scared of the “dark corners and spooky sounds” that arise when the lights go out. Just when it’s time to sleep, the boy’s big-eyed stuffed bunny springs to life, informing him that the bed is actually a time machine that can take them on nightly adventures: “Then it’s blastoff in 5-4-3-2-FUN!” Boy and bunny are transported to a prehistoric land filled with friendly, jewel-toned dinosaurs; the boy first fears, but then befriends, a puppylike orange T. rex. The adventure is fun—though, if the goal is to get readers to sleep peacefully, the eventful circumstances aren’t exactly soporific. Ages 3–7.

April 15, 2019
Where the Wild Things Are meets Harold and the Purple Crayon with an imagination that's brand new. Beginning with delightful endpapers of childlike dinosaur sketches, this story recasts bedtime as adventure time. A preschool-age child lies in bed, terrified, as mom says, "Be brave. You're the Boss of Bedtime!" Feeling anything but bosslike, the timorous kid peers nervously around the dark room, certain that trouble lurks nearby. But trusty stuffed bunny Floppy encourages the child to imagine the bed as a time machine that can take them anywhere, even to a land of dinosaurs! Off go the kid, bunny, and bed to a wild space of meadows and mountains (and a basketball hoop and a grill), where friendly dinosaurs play games and live together. Eventually the narrator's bravery exceeds Floppy's, even making friends with an affable T. Rex, who plays games and doesn't want his new playmate to leave. The lively and vivid digital art is full of details big and small, especially in the borders. These are illustrations that deserve to be explored again and again. The opening spread, in particular, contains key clues to this fantastical nighttime adventure. The protagonist appears to be a child of color, with light-brown skin and short, straight black hair. Anyone who's ever protested bedtime will surely want this story to continue in their own time machines. (Picture book. 3-7)

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May 17, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-A young boy is afraid of bedtime until his stuffed rabbit Floppy assures him that his bed is a time machine, and that he is the boss of bedtime. The boy gets under the covers, closes his eyes, and is suddenly transported back in time to a land of friendly dinosaurs who want to play and like to nibble on his sock. When the boy realizes that he's ready to return to his family, he wakes up to tell his mother about his amazing dream, but the hole in his sock will leave children wondering if it really was just a dream. Digitally painted full-bleed illustrations help to fully immerse readers in the dreamlike adventures. VERDICT The simple story and colorful illustrations successfully combine to spark readers' imaginations, and serve to make bedtime feel more like an adventure than an interruption of fun. Recommended for general purchase.-Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR

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