A Recipe for Bedtime

October 1, 2015
Bently and Massini serve up rhyming verse and a bevy of animal friends to guide a little one through the bedtime routine, one "ingredient" at a time. Although the front endpapers show a mother carrying baby upstairs, there are no parents in sight as a little blond child readies for bed in this decidedly sweet take on the goodnight story. Instead, animate toys provide snuggles and then take steps to "unwrap" (undress), "add to water" (bathe), and so on. Particularly delightful steps include having a toy elephant "add raspberries to tum and feet"; a bottle-feeding suffices for the step "and then add milk." The baby at the center of all this nurturing is remarkably good-natured and calm, but the animals still return to check after tucking the child in, once again adding milk and singing, too. Their closing song sends baby drifting off to sleep, and then they cuddle up with the child in the crib. Massini's soft illustrations include charming decorative detail in the setting and on the characters' clothing while also providing ample visual space for the young readers who will examine the pages while listening to the rhyming verse. A treat of a bedtime book. (Picture book. 0-3)

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January 1, 2016

PreS-Three stuffed animal chefs band together in this rhyming recipe filled with the sweet, familiar motions of a baby getting readied for bed. The simple, humorous verse instructs the cook to "take a bundle full of joy/(It can be either girl or boy)./Snuggle in your arms, like so." The songlike steps show how baby is bathed, dried, wrapped up, fed, kissed, sung to, and finally put to sleep. Bently's language is cloaked in comfort, and Massini's muted primary colors perfectly capture the quiet, loving scenes. Bently's gentle nod to the not always easy aspects of bedtime, while still appealing to a very young listener, makes this a standout among others of its ilk. The lulling rhythm of the rhyme scheme is so memorable that the words will likely be recited and woven into family routines. VERDICT This bedtime selection is a recipe for success.-Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

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