Goodnight Bob

November 1, 2016

PreS-A simple, quiet story about a boy named Bob at bedtime. After he says good night to the moon and gets ready to go to sleep, Bob notices a set of eyes in the dark. Using his flashlight, he discovers that the eyes belong to his pet fish, who is wishing him good night. Bob continues to notice eyes that belong to different animals, ranging from a mouse to Bigfoot, who say their good nights, until Bob sees "lots of eyes," which are actually stars. The story concludes as the boy closes his eyes and the stars wish him a final good night. Ann Hassett's text is soothing and succinct, making it appropriate for young readers and for read-alouds. For tykes wary of the dark, this book eases children's fears without ever being didactic; Bob calmly shines a light on the animals he notices in the dark, and the animals, in turn, are shown to be harmless as they all warmly wish him good night. John Hassett's illustrations feature deep shades of blue to reflect the darkness of night, which blends with the yellow of Bob's flashlight, creating a green glow that illuminates the pages whenever Bob spies a new pair of eyes. The animals are drawn as cuddly and friendly, even Bigfoot, adding to the story's charm. VERDICT This gentle book is a peaceful bedtime selection and a suitable read-aloud in a bedtime-themed storytime.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A young child's bedtime anxiety is quelled as familiar friends take turns saying goodnight.Tucked in bed with a flashlight, Bob looks out the window to a crescent Moon, who smiles down and says, "Goodnight Bob." Alone in the dark, Bob sees two round, white eyes glow, and when he shines his flashlight, Fish appears in his bowl and also says goodnight. This pattern repeats as each successive pair of white eyes in the dark turns into a cat, dog, mouse, Bigfoot (outside the window), and the stars in the night sky. The simple, predictable text will have children chiming in quickly: "Bob saw two eyes. / It was Dog. 'Goodnight Bob, ' said Dog. / Bob saw two eyes. / It was Mouse. 'Goodnight Bob, ' said Mouse." Finally settled in and with eyes closed, Bob is asleep as the moon and stars give another goodbye and the footprints of Bigfoot recede down the path from the house. The simplicity of this repetitive story is accentuated by the primitive cartoonish pastel drawings in primary colors. Bob is a very young Charlie Brown-type figure with light skin, two dotted eyes, a circle nose, and four bristly lines for hair atop his very round head. Bold white text against a dark blue nocturnal background facilitates repeat reads. A sweetly simple bedtime book with a reassuring message. (Picture book. 2-4) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016
A young childs bedtime anxiety is quelled as familiar friends take turns saying goodnight.Tucked in bed with a flashlight, Bob looks out the window to a crescent Moon, who smiles down and says, Goodnight Bob. Alone in the dark, Bob sees two round, white eyes glow, and when he shines his flashlight, Fish appears in his bowl and also says goodnight. This pattern repeats as each successive pair of white eyes in the dark turns into a cat, dog, mouse, Bigfoot (outside the window), and the stars in the night sky. The simple, predictable text will have children chiming in quickly: Bob saw two eyes. / It was Dog. Goodnight Bob, said Dog. / Bob saw two eyes. / It was Mouse. Goodnight Bob, said Mouse. Finally settled in and with eyes closed, Bob is asleep as the moon and stars give another goodbye and the footprints of Bigfoot recede down the path from the house. The simplicity of this repetitive story is accentuated by the primitive cartoonish pastel drawings in primary colors. Bob is a very young Charlie Browntype figure with light skin, two dotted eyes, a circle nose, and four bristly lines for hair atop his very round head. Bold white text against a dark blue nocturnal background facilitates repeat reads. A sweetly simple bedtime book with a reassuring message. (Picture book. 2-4)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 18, 2016
With every turn of the page, the Hassetts (Come Back, Ben) vacillate between fear and relief as a boy named Bob, tucked cozily into bed, is confronted by pairs of eyes staring at him from the darkness. John Hassett’s crayon-box color palette, smudgy textures, and cartoony characterizations help soften the eerie setup, but the white eyes that glow out from the blue-violet void surrounding Bob’s bed are still pretty creepy. Luckily, Bob has a flashlight, and its beam reveals that he has nothing to fear. One pair of eyes belong to a goldfish smiling in its bowl (“Bob saw two eyes. It was Fish. ‘Goodnight Bob,’ said Fish”), others belong to a dog and mouse, and then the story swings even more toward the weird. A hulking Bigfoot waves good night to Bob from outside his window, and when Bob sees “lots of eyes” outside after that, it’s simply the stars in the sky: “ ‘Goodnight Bob,’ said Stars.” The pared-down, repeating text creates a surprising amount of suspense—this story might not exactly reassure reluctant bed goers, but it should definitely provoke some nervous giggles. Ages 4–8.