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Bedtime for Sweet Creatures
Nikki Grimes, Coretta Scott King Award winning author, and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon's latest children's masterpiece creates an imagination-fueled and animal-filled journey to bedtime.
"[A] rhythmic, playful romp through a restless child's bedtime routine... a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
It's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.
He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.
Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.
"The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review
"[A] rhythmic, playful romp through a restless child's bedtime routine... a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
It's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.
He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.
Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.
"The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
March 16, 2021
Children's author and poet Nikki Grimes teams up with picture-book illustrator Elizabeth Zunon in this sweetly imaginative bedtime tale. A young girl resists going to bed, finding lots of ways to delay the inevitable, from making her mother check under the bed for monsters to demanding a last glass of water. Comparisons are made, at each step, to a wild animal - the girl's teddy bear becomes a massive grizzly, the girl becomes a koala when she clings to her mother for a last kiss - but eventually she is ready to go to sleep. Or is she...?
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures offers a charming variation on a common theme in children's books - a theme which corresponds to a common childhood experience. Namely: the avoidance of bedtime. I have read a number of stories with this same idea, but what sets this example apart is the use of animal comparison in both narrative and illustration. There is an element of imaginative play here that is very appealing, and the colorful artwork captures that sense of make-believe, depicting both the imagined animal, and its real-world equivalent. Despite her prolific output, and the fact that I have been familiar with her name for many years, I have never picked up any books from Grimes before, which leaves me somewhat puzzled. I will definitely have to seek more out. I have encountered Zunon before, both in her own Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family , and in her work on other authors' books. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for sweet bedtime books, especially if they would like ones featuring a warm and loving African-American family.
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures offers a charming variation on a common theme in children's books - a theme which corresponds to a common childhood experience. Namely: the avoidance of bedtime. I have read a number of stories with this same idea, but what sets this example apart is the use of animal comparison in both narrative and illustration. There is an element of imaginative play here that is very appealing, and the colorful artwork captures that sense of make-believe, depicting both the imagined animal, and its real-world equivalent. Despite her prolific output, and the fact that I have been familiar with her name for many years, I have never picked up any books from Grimes before, which leaves me somewhat puzzled. I will definitely have to seek more out. I have encountered Zunon before, both in her own Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family , and in her work on other authors' books. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for sweet bedtime books, especially if they would like ones featuring a warm and loving African-American family.
October 16, 2020
3.75 stars, parents and caretakers who have a child with (what seems) a never-ending bedtime routine will appreciate this one as much as their young ones.
Bedtime story - check
Glass of water - check
One last bathroom break - check
And more, pairing these routines with different animals - brilliant.
Pair this with the classic Goodnight Moon. Your little one will like them both.
Bedtime story - check
Glass of water - check
One last bathroom break - check
And more, pairing these routines with different animals - brilliant.
Pair this with the classic Goodnight Moon. Your little one will like them both.
January 9, 2020
Sweet bedtime story with wonderfully colorful illustrations.
March 18, 2020
Such a treat! A beautifully illustrated hardcover book by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Zunon's illustrations use brilliant colors that lift right off the page. Her sweet creature's expressions are beautifully done. Grime's mommy is admirably calm and patient, and her sweet creature is full of spirit. The language used is alive, active and strong. The story and the illustrations perform well together, making Grimes and Zunon a talented team.
***Thanks to Nikki Grimes, Author, Elizabeth Zunon, illustrator, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Multicultural Children's Book Day for the opportunity to read and review this book. I won this through an MCBD giveaway.***
***Thanks to Nikki Grimes, Author, Elizabeth Zunon, illustrator, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Multicultural Children's Book Day for the opportunity to read and review this book. I won this through an MCBD giveaway.***
January 23, 2020
It is only January but Bedtime for Sweet Creatures will be one of my favorite picture books throughout 2020. The rhythm and illustrations are perfection. The book begs to be acted out. The illustrations are so interesting and lovely. I find myself reaching for this title over and over. It is wonderful.
October 24, 2019
Thanks for sending me an ARC of this beautifully illustrated poem for preschoolers, Sourcebooks! I’ve always enjoyed Nikki Grimes’ poetry, but the artwork by Elizabeth Zunon makes this one stand out. Each animal used to represent the nighttime bed avoidance behaviors of young children everywhere is boldly painted and with a great blend of imagination and realism. Great bedtime read aloud.
January 28, 2020
I loved the beautiful, colorful, intricate illustrations in this bedtime book. I also enjoyed the ties between the little girl's actions and personality to the animals she imagines. My main concern is the conclusion. Instead of finally sleeping in her own bed, the child manipulates her mother into letting her sleep with her parents.
Noooooooooooooo!!
Noooooooooooooo!!
February 9, 2020
Sweet bedtime picture book for those restless critters, this one in a fuzzy red onesie, who don’t want to go to bed. Gentle nudges and fabulous collage like illustrations make this book a treat for parents and kids alike.
February 4, 2021
I was excited to see that this book exists, since I enjoyed the new bath time book with the same characters so much, but this ended up being only average for me. The illustrations are gorgeous and creative, and the text is rhythmic and fun, but I didn't think that the animals aspect connected to the story well, and was disappointed with the ending.
Parents who do not co-sleep with their children need to know that this story ends with the toddler joining Mom and Dad in their bed. This may seem cute and fun for families that encourage or allow this with their children, but it can totally catch someone off guard if this isn't something that they want to give their kids ideas about. It also bothers me that the story ends by accepting the child's manipulation and disobedience as cute and relatable. When I got to the end, I was glad that I wasn't reading this with a child, because unlike with some books, such as The Big Bed, this one provides no warning of where it is headed.
Parents who do not co-sleep with their children need to know that this story ends with the toddler joining Mom and Dad in their bed. This may seem cute and fun for families that encourage or allow this with their children, but it can totally catch someone off guard if this isn't something that they want to give their kids ideas about. It also bothers me that the story ends by accepting the child's manipulation and disobedience as cute and relatable. When I got to the end, I was glad that I wasn't reading this with a child, because unlike with some books, such as The Big Bed, this one provides no warning of where it is headed.
January 14, 2020
Not sure how kids will react to the direct 'you' which makes it feel a little like tell and don't show, but charming illustrations with great movement and brilliant colors. With all the animal effects probably a great read aloud if the reader is good with animal noises!
September 25, 2021
A fun little bedtime adventure to share with your little ones that talks about avoiding bedtime, bedtime stuffed animals and real animals. This imaginative sweet bedtime tale is a fun bedtime read with beautiful illustrations.
June 4, 2019
I received an ARC at Book Expo.
Cute story with great illustrations.
Cute story with great illustrations.
February 13, 2020
A fun bedtime tale for the little ones.
July 9, 2020
Beautiful, fun bedtime read! I love the parade of creatures, though maybe not the book choice if you're trying to convince your toddler to sleep in their own bed.
September 23, 2021
An energetic bedtime story!
October 30, 2020
A sweet bedtime picture book about a little girl going to bed and all the animals that she is like.
January 20, 2021
I love these illustrations. The story was familiar and fun. I really liked how it showed a beautiful Black family and their cozy and loving nighttime routine.
October 14, 2020
This book would be great to teach similes and metaphors! Poetry and illustrations are fantastic.
June 17, 2020
I loved this sweet bedtime story. I really liked how the illustrator juxtaposed the realistic looking humans with the highly stylized, patterned animals. In my opinion, the text and illustrations meshed perfectly, with an adept intermingling of the real and imaginary.
Now that I have a hard copy in my hands, I can see the cut paper and collage in the illustrations, which give the illustrations a rich texture that was not apparent from the YouTube video.
Now that I have a hard copy in my hands, I can see the cut paper and collage in the illustrations, which give the illustrations a rich texture that was not apparent from the YouTube video.
August 23, 2020
My three-year-old daughter had me read this book over and over at bedtime. She liked naming the creatures, the onimonipeia, and the familiarity of a child who is reluctantly being put to bed by their parent. This would also have appeal and humor to most adults.
The artwork is not only beautiful, but unique. I've never seen anything like them before. They are simple with a collage quality. The people in the book have a photography like quality, the creatures are brightly colored to stand out and the background is dark, which along with the rhythm gives this book an African American folktale feel.
The artwork is not only beautiful, but unique. I've never seen anything like them before. They are simple with a collage quality. The people in the book have a photography like quality, the creatures are brightly colored to stand out and the background is dark, which along with the rhythm gives this book an African American folktale feel.
June 24, 2020
Going to bed can be a beastly chore, especially when one feels as fierce as a lion or sounds as melodic as an owl. In this sweet bedtime read from Grimes, her poetic lines bring different animals into play. I love Zunon's rainbow-hued and boldly patterned animals and would love to hang prints of hers in my kids' rooms. This was a great bedtime read for my toddler - who seems to be the central audience for this book.
July 30, 2019
Critically acclaimed poet Nikki Grimes can turn such a simple everyday task into something magical. As a mother tries to put her stubborn child to bed, their nighttime routine and thoughts are accompanied by the animals they represent-- a coiled snake in a blanket, a ferocious bear as teddy, a koala for a hug. This makes for a lovely bedtime story.
October 27, 2020
My first thought was...aw, it's another off-to-bed book.
Was I ever wrong?! It's not just another off-to-bed book; no, it could be one of the iconic off-to-bed books, with beautiful poetic allusions to animals for every prototypically reluctant off-to-bed behavior. It's filled with warmth and color and fun. Kids would love to hear this story, over and over.
Was I ever wrong?! It's not just another off-to-bed book; no, it could be one of the iconic off-to-bed books, with beautiful poetic allusions to animals for every prototypically reluctant off-to-bed behavior. It's filled with warmth and color and fun. Kids would love to hear this story, over and over.
January 29, 2020
Beautifully illustrated and easy for a child to mimic the various animals. However, the child ends up getting what they wanted all along. Hmmm
February 25, 2020
Love this one. I would’ve owned it, for sure.
A Mom, the narrator, coaxes her Sweet Creature to bed. Every page is alive with color, texture and evidence of some creature or another. Bears, Lions, Growling, Hissing, Loping... Grimes and Zunon trace the reluctance of sleep to checking under beds to last glasses of water and another trip to the bathroom until one last request.
“In crawl owl, bear, snake, kitty, fawn, squirrel, koala, tiger, wolf…and one very sleepy child.”
The application of image in both illustration and text is unusual and disarming…Grimes and Zunon have created an utterly charming bedtime story. The child’s sweetness is at times tongue in cheek, but sincere. Like the animals the child mimics or is likened to, there is a precious quality, a delight one savors—a sweetness.
Grimes is smooth, well-versed in the construction of story and the transitions of imagery. She binds it all up in a culminating event (like bedtime) and in the body of a definite force of nature (a child).
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures is sure to be a favorite with its young audiences, charmed by both mother and child, their antics, the bright patterned images of the animals. The noises and actions are sure to inspire playfulness for the reader and listener. And it is sure to take the edge off any reluctance to bedtime—for child and caregiver. Grimes and Zunon remind us of the beautiful wildness and vulnerability of a child, and we’ll want to hold these moments and this book all the closer because of it. It is a Bedtime book for Sweet Creatures, for both the children and their Moms.*
*And Dads…he’s there too, reading, and later, tucked in like a good creature at bedtime.
A Mom, the narrator, coaxes her Sweet Creature to bed. Every page is alive with color, texture and evidence of some creature or another. Bears, Lions, Growling, Hissing, Loping... Grimes and Zunon trace the reluctance of sleep to checking under beds to last glasses of water and another trip to the bathroom until one last request.
“In crawl owl, bear, snake, kitty, fawn, squirrel, koala, tiger, wolf…and one very sleepy child.”
The application of image in both illustration and text is unusual and disarming…Grimes and Zunon have created an utterly charming bedtime story. The child’s sweetness is at times tongue in cheek, but sincere. Like the animals the child mimics or is likened to, there is a precious quality, a delight one savors—a sweetness.
Grimes is smooth, well-versed in the construction of story and the transitions of imagery. She binds it all up in a culminating event (like bedtime) and in the body of a definite force of nature (a child).
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures is sure to be a favorite with its young audiences, charmed by both mother and child, their antics, the bright patterned images of the animals. The noises and actions are sure to inspire playfulness for the reader and listener. And it is sure to take the edge off any reluctance to bedtime—for child and caregiver. Grimes and Zunon remind us of the beautiful wildness and vulnerability of a child, and we’ll want to hold these moments and this book all the closer because of it. It is a Bedtime book for Sweet Creatures, for both the children and their Moms.*
*And Dads…he’s there too, reading, and later, tucked in like a good creature at bedtime.
December 30, 2019
My Review: The rhythm of this book is palpable. As a mother of three children six and under, I identified whole-heartedly with the mother of this book. She just wants her child to go to bed. As the child attempts sleep, he morphs into different animals (a lion, a tiger, an owl!). The book displays bedtime in ways that parents will identify with. Teachers will love using this book to teach metaphor and sound in story.
My three-year-old's review: "I like the squirrel and the koala a lot! I liked all of the aminals. [sic]"
My six-year-old's review: "I like how his mom and his dad are trying to get him to sleep at night. I like how it is night-time in the book and the colors of the book make it feel like it is night-time."
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: The ways in which Grimes uses sound and metaphor is very intriguing and quite teachable. I spent a significant amount of time thinking about the almost-anthropomorphism of the text. The animals are given human characteristics of the child. But the child is actually given animal characteristics. This is zoomorphism, right? I would love to have this kind of study and debate with students. So cool!
Discussion Questions: What animals does the child act like? How does the author choose qualities of the child to connect them with animals?; Choose another animal not within the book. How might the child act like this animal at bedtime, too?
Full review (Available January 15): http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2... in a new tab)
My three-year-old's review: "I like the squirrel and the koala a lot! I liked all of the aminals. [sic]"
My six-year-old's review: "I like how his mom and his dad are trying to get him to sleep at night. I like how it is night-time in the book and the colors of the book make it feel like it is night-time."
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: The ways in which Grimes uses sound and metaphor is very intriguing and quite teachable. I spent a significant amount of time thinking about the almost-anthropomorphism of the text. The animals are given human characteristics of the child. But the child is actually given animal characteristics. This is zoomorphism, right? I would love to have this kind of study and debate with students. So cool!
Discussion Questions: What animals does the child act like? How does the author choose qualities of the child to connect them with animals?; Choose another animal not within the book. How might the child act like this animal at bedtime, too?
Full review (Available January 15): http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2... in a new tab)
January 11, 2020
A small child does not want to go to bed in this poetic look at bedtime struggles. The book begins with the word “no” being chanted like a drum beat. The child asks “who” like an owl as if there is someone else heading to bed. Their mother takes the teddy bear and heads off towards the bedroom. Once in bed, there is growling like a bear, hissing like a snake due to monsters, and even roaring like a lion to check beneath the bed. Fawns and squirrels appear as a storybook is shared. The child hugs like a koala for a final kiss. Then there is water to drink and the bathroom to use before the child may or may not head to their own bed and sleep.
Grimes takes the battles of bedtime and turns them into a menagerie of animals who fill the pages with the reactions. The process of bedtime negotiations is rather like lions and snakes for parents at times. I appreciate that the process is imperfect and at times filled with the child’s strong emotions. As always, Grimes’ writing is marvelous. Her words are energetic and the combination of behavior and animals is clever.
The art by Zunon is done in vibrant mix of collage and painting. The character’s faces are detailed and expressive, while the various animals are done in a colorful and stylized format. The child could be any gender, which makes this book all the more inclusive in addition to having an African-American family of characters.
A poetic and animal-filled bedtime story about bedtime. Appropriate for ages 1-3.
Grimes takes the battles of bedtime and turns them into a menagerie of animals who fill the pages with the reactions. The process of bedtime negotiations is rather like lions and snakes for parents at times. I appreciate that the process is imperfect and at times filled with the child’s strong emotions. As always, Grimes’ writing is marvelous. Her words are energetic and the combination of behavior and animals is clever.
The art by Zunon is done in vibrant mix of collage and painting. The character’s faces are detailed and expressive, while the various animals are done in a colorful and stylized format. The child could be any gender, which makes this book all the more inclusive in addition to having an African-American family of characters.
A poetic and animal-filled bedtime story about bedtime. Appropriate for ages 1-3.
March 5, 2021
This is a beautiful bedtime book with a lot to offer which cannot be found elsewhere, mostly due to the inventive art style. The poet Nikki Grimes does not disappoint, of course, with her clever word play and stunning visual word pictures. But the illustration of tribal animals and the charming parents make this book sing. As expected for a quiet bedtime story, the parents do most of the agency, though the main character tries their hardest not to go to bed. However, as this is more a love story between parents and child (fierce child:) it seems appropriate. The one thing I did not like was the jarring effect between the child's body and the child's head. While both were expertly rendered (the body in graphic silhouette and the head in total soft realism) they often pulled me out of the story instead of into the magical pre-bedtime realm. It looked completely intentional, but not 100% successful. Perhaps if the animals were in the same style since they were so gorgeously graphic, or perhaps if the animals' carnival colors were as bright as the child's red pajamas, or if the entire child seemed to float in a fantasy realm, but unfortunately for me that flaw held it back from perfection.
July 24, 2020
Nikki Grimes, Coretta Scott King Award winning author, and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon's latest children's masterpiece creates an imagination-fueled and animal-filled journey to bedtime.
"[A] rhythmic, playful romp through a restless child's bedtime routine... a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
It's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.
He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.
Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.
"The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review
"[A] rhythmic, playful romp through a restless child's bedtime routine... a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
It's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.
He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.
Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.
"The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review
July 1, 2020
Read this to Mister last night. He is such a literalist that he kept saying, "Why? Mommy? But why is there a snake on the bed (this fascinated/disturbed him a little)? Why is there a wolf in the room? Why are all the animals there?" I tried to explain to him that the child was ACTING like an animal but he just didn't get it.
Then we got to the page with the checking for the monsters under the bed.... Oh, NO! Mister is going through a phase where he is fearful of monsters and bad guys being in his room or coming into his room. If I suggest the reality that there ARE monsters, then his world will be rocked. I edited the reading from there on. And distracted as best I could from the points I didn't want to highlight (getting out of bed to get a drink & getting out of bed to sleep with Mommy and Daddy). There's a reason why we stick to our bedtime routine; Mister stays in bed and sleeps in his bed.
All in all, I would not read this again.
Then we got to the page with the checking for the monsters under the bed.... Oh, NO! Mister is going through a phase where he is fearful of monsters and bad guys being in his room or coming into his room. If I suggest the reality that there ARE monsters, then his world will be rocked. I edited the reading from there on. And distracted as best I could from the points I didn't want to highlight (getting out of bed to get a drink & getting out of bed to sleep with Mommy and Daddy). There's a reason why we stick to our bedtime routine; Mister stays in bed and sleeps in his bed.
All in all, I would not read this again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews