Books for Bedtime and More!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

At bedtime, I always loved reading a book about going to bed or with characters going to sleep at the end of it when Hazel was little. I always felt like it was the perfect way to lead to turning off the lights. Today we get to share three very different books of this type. One is about noise. One is a Korean folktale, and the final one is about a sleepover! We will start with The Very Noisy House by Sally Nicholls and illustrated by Gosia Herba. It is recommended for ages 2 to 5.

About the Book:

Join the fun in the very, very NOISY house! A thrilling, interactive read-aloud, perfect for kids who love to explore and make noise. Knock on the door — RAT-A-TAT-TAT! — and let’s see what’s inside . . .

From the garden gate (SQUEEEAK!) through the front door (DING-DONG!) and through all the zany rooms in the house, this boisterous and interactive book takes young readers on a LOUD journey through a bright, bustling home filled with sound words to say out loud on every page.

With vibrant illustrations and playful words, kids will love exploring the music room (LA LA LA LA LA!), the echo room (HELLO! HELLO! HELLO!), and the very, very loud room (BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!). There's even a mixed-up room where animals make the wrong sounds. And adults will appreciate that the book ends with a sleepy-time scene in the quiet room (SHHHH!) to calm everything down before bedtime.

Perfect for reading together, this book encourages participation and imagination and is full of play value. Kids will love hearing their grownups act so silly, guaranteeing this book gets read over and over again. Get ready to shout, sing, and giggle as you turn each page of this noisy adventure!

From Me:

Now a book about noise may seem like a weird choice for a bedtime story, but this book is fun and creative and ends with going to bed! Each page is a surprise to see what is happening. There are animals in the yard, a music room, an echo room, a spooky cellar, a quiet room, a loud room, a mixed-up room, a lion, a bathroom, a silly room, and finally a bedroom. However, on each page is the action, sounds and suggestions for actions that make the book interactive!

This book is amazing for talking about sounds. It is also interactive with the various actions suggested like knocking on the doors or making noise like a toy whistle. It is a book that can be a discussion on different sounds as well as noise levels. Can the kids make the noises in the music room or be quiet enough for the quiet room? There is so much to talk about with this book. I love that it includes a bath and then eventually the bedroom to go to sleep. It has a bit of the bedtime routine built in to make it a fun book for bedtime as well! This book is great for a preschool classroom to talk about sounds and just a fun story time book. It is also great for home for a fun read!

For our next book, Escargot is back in his fifth book! This time he is inviting the reader over for a slumber party! The book is Good Night, Escargot by Dashka Slater and illustrated by Sydney Hanson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 6. 

About the Book:

In this perfect bedtime read, a cute French snail hosts a pajama party in this laugh-out-loud fifth picture book in the bestselling Escargot series.

Escargot is hosting a pajama party and everyone is invited! There is only one rule: Don't fall asleep! As the night goes on and Escargot grows tired, he struggles to stay awake. Luckily, he has lots of ideas to keep his eyes from closing. Looking at the stars with his trusty stuffed bunny, building a blanket fort, and telling scary stories all help. But will the call of Escargot's comfy bed win out in the end?

From New York Times–bestselling author Dashka Slater and former Pixar animator Sydney Hanson, Good Night, Escargot is an irresistibly sweet and charming story about sleepover fun and winding down from the day. This hilarious and interactive addition to the award-winning Escargot series is an ideal bedtime (or anytime!) read-aloud for little ones and animals lovers.

From Me:

The adorable French snail is back. This time he invites the reader to a slumber party. He is so excited to stay up all night with the reader but does admit he sometimes falls asleep at sleepovers. He is determined to not do it this time and continues to deny it when he may doze off. It has all the charm of the first Escargot book I reviewed previously. It is full of the humor and fun that kids will love!

Readers will be laughing and loving this book. It shares some favorite activities and more from traditional sleepovers. And of course, Escargot gets tired and decides it is time to go to sleep! It is a fun book that will get kids ready for bed with humor and a friend. It is also a great book just to read for fun. Kids will love adults reading it aloud with the silliness of Escargot. 

Our final book is perfect for any time but does end with the characters going to bed, so it fits my criteria. It is the retelling of a Korean folktale called "Three Little Girls." The book is called Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea by Nancy So Miller. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

About the Book:

Three sisters must outsmart a hungry tiger in this fresh retelling of a beloved Korean folktale.

When Eomma goes to market she has only one rule for her three daughters, don’t open the door until her return. There are creatures that roam the nearby mountains.

But as the hours pass, the sisters grow anxious. Surely, Eomma will be home soon. And when there’s a knock at the door, the girls jump to let Eomma in. Except, it is not their mother at the door.

Debut Nancy So Miller updates this centuries-old story with her gorgeous cutpaper art, for which she carefully constructed and photographed each scene. From the fiery orange of the tiger to the soothing shades of a lilac sky, this is a visually lush retelling. Perfect for fans of the original as well as fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.

Back matter includes a bibliography and more information about the original story and Korean history and culture.

From Me:

In this tale there is a mother who has three daughters. She has named them in honor of the Sky God: Hae, Dal, and Byeol (Sun, Moon, and Stars). Their home is full of love and working together. One day the mother, Eomma, needed to go the village. She warns her daughters not to open the door for anyone since tigers roam around the mountain. Before she leaves, she gives each daughter a special gift. The girls ask the Sky God to watch over their mother. The day goes on and the girls are missing their mother. There is knock on the door. Then a voice says it is their Eomma and to open the door. The girls notice the voice sounds gruff. The voice gives them an excuse. They continue to ask questions to see if it really is Eomma. Finally, one of them opens the door and discovers it is really a talking tiger. The girls run and climb a tree. They use the gifts their mother gave them to fight off the tiger with the help of the Sky God. After doing some work for the Sky God the return home and Eomma feeds them while they tell her what happen. Then the three girls go off to bed after such an exciting day.  

This tale is about three girls who use their brains to defeat a tiger. They think fast and are able to escape it and then get some help from the Sky God to keep them safe and be able to return. There are messages about family, faith and working together. I also love that it is girls who fight the tiger since it sends the message of the strength of girls that we do not always see in books! I also love that the dramatic day ends with the family having dinner together and then the children going to bed. Once again, it shares a special routine that helps kids. Family dinner (which does not happen very much in many households anymore) gives kids a time to be with their parents and to share the day. It gives them the time to have their parents' attention and gives the family time to be together. It is a perfect story to read and enjoy but it also teaches a bit about the Korean culture. In the author's note, Nancy explains her own process of retelling this story. She and her two sisters immigrated from South Korea. She made it her own and she also did the beautiful art in the book. The book also includes a bibliography. Nancy also shared with me her website and a YouTube video where she shares a tutorial for one of her paper crafts. Her website has even more crafts and activities to do with the book! It is a perfect book for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!